Regional officers offer free treatment

REGIONAL armed forces attending the ongoing East African Community’s (EAC) Field Training Exercise (FTX) codenamed, Ushirikiano Imara, have taken time off to offer free medical treatment to residents of Bugesera District, Eastern Province. The exercise brought together the five member states of East African Community; Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to The New Times described the assistance as a demonstration of commitment to the integration process of the East African Community member states.When The New Times visited Ngeruka Health Centre in Kibungo Village, Ngeruka Sector in Bugesera District, the military doctors were busy attending to patients as more people waited outside. “I have a problem with my ribs and cannot sleep comfortably. When I heard that the military doctors had visited our area and were offering free treatment, I also decided to consult them,” Juliet Mukankubana, 74, a resident, commented, saying she had walked five kilometres to the health centre. The medics treated people with eye problems, bone ailments, teeth problems and general diseases, among others.“I brought my daughter. She is suffering from stomach pains and was seriously vomiting. I don’t know whether she will be fine because her health condition is deteriorating,” another resident in the area, Victor Karamira, revealed.The doctors, who were being assisted by local health practitioners, were equipped with all the necessary medical equipment including ambulances to transfer the patients for advanced treatment particularly at Kanombe Military Hospital in Kigali.The sensitisation and awareness among the residents is normally conducted by local authorities in partnership with health workers.An asthma patient, Pascal Fureri, 67, observed. “We know that the military is usually involved in fighting and protecting the country. It’s a good sign of cooperation between our countries. It’s not common for a foreign army to be involved in such activities (offering medical services and construction).”Capt. Jean Bosco Dunia, a Rwanda Defence Forces eye-specialist, said there was high demand for their services in the area.He added that so far, over 700 people suffering from various ailments had received treatment by Tuesday evening though the number was increasing. “We have ambulances here and so far, we have transferred six patients to Kanombe Military Hospital for further medical treatment,” he confirmed. The head of the Ngeruka Health Centre, Janvier Hakizimana, disclosed that 85 people had also been circumcised as part of the activities.Top military brass involved in the regional training exercise headed by Maj .Gen Jacques Musemakweri, also made a tour of the health centres to monitor the activities being rendered by the EAC military to the resdients.Other activities included the construction of schools. By Tuesday evening, the regional military officers were on the verge of completing a three classroom block at Dihiro Secondary School in Gashora Sector. The school has over 622 students. The head teacher of the school, Ildephonse Tushimiyimana, welcomed the initiative, adding that the block would accommodate Senior Five students once completed. The training exercise, which ends tomorrow (Friday) has attracted over 1,680 EAC armed forces personnel and civilians. The ongoing training is focusing on peace support operations, disaster management, counterterrorism and counter piracy. The exercise is undertaken at Rwanda Military Academy-Gako in Eastern Province as well as Lake Kivu in Rubavu District in Western Province.

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Regional officers offer free treatment