The upgrading of Ruhengeri Referral Hospital is already underway, with Rwf17.79 billion allocated to the project in the 2026/27 fiscal year.

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Originally built in 1939, Ruhengeri Hospital is among several health facilities in Rwanda whose facilities no longer meet current healthcare demands or modern standards.

The hospital rehabilitation and expansion project is expected to cost €100 million (around Rwf171 billion), of which 75 per cent will be provided by the French Development Agency (AFD).

After its completion, the hospital will have 550 patient beds altogether, up from the current 320. It will also have 36 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, eight operating rooms and a conventional radiology platform.

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The facility will also be equipped with modern diagnostic technologies, including an MRI and a 64-slice CT scanner, alongside the installation of a modern radiology unit.

A 220-bed maternity unit, including 40 incubators, will significantly strengthen its capacity to manage more than 6,000 births annually that are handled at the hospital.

In this article, The New Times takes a look at designs shared by Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) showing how the hospital will look once construction is completed.

The upgrade is expected to improve service delivery and respond to the rapidly growing population it serves, which is projected to reach three million people by 2040.

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The rehabilitation will require the temporary relocation of some hospital services to nearby government buildings.

These buildings are currently undergoing renovation and repurposing to accommodate the hospital services during the rehabilitation phase.

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