The Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, said that through the program to bring doctors [medical doctors] to health centers, in the next three years, all these centers in Rwanda will have doctors who will provide services like those that will be introduced at university hospitals.
He returned to it on December 4, 2024, when Rwanda hosted the International Meeting of Ministers of Health from around the world, the goal is to learn together about modern medicine, technology and equal rights to the production of vaccines.
They also discussed the strengthening of medical technology, the use of artificial intelligence, the fight against health inequalities, women's health, chronic diseases and others.
This conference is taking place at a time when medical care in Rwanda is progressing day by day, where many of the serious diseases Rwandans used to seek treatment outside the country such as heart surgery, brain surgery, kidney transplant, cancer and others are now treated in the country.
It has the theme: 'Strengthening healthcare systems for a better tomorrow'. Rwanda was awarded for its contribution to the development of public health and sustainable policies to prevent epidemics and find new solutions to emerging epidemic diseases.
A report by the United Nations Health Organization, WHO, shows that more than 1.2 billion people do not have access to basic health care, while 50% of people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to medicines. basic.
Minister Dr. Nsanzimana said that in order to provide health care to all, there is a plan that in three years the small clinics will be empowered by giving them doctors who will provide high quality medical services.
He said, "The appearance of many diseases is delayed because people do not see them early, and they are never treated at the university's main hospital, which should be treated early.
"Increasing the number of doctors and capacity should go hand in hand with early diagnosis, diagnosis and prevention, especially at the level of health workers."
"We have a plan that we are going to implement, so that all health centers in Rwanda will have doctors in about two or three years, so that things that used to go to hospitals far away can be done there."
Usually, health centers only have nurses and other support staff in their daily work. He said that what is delaying the 100% implementation of this program is the low number of doctors.
He said, "The only thing that is missing from this program is the small number of doctors who graduate from six medical schools."
"But as we see more and more, they will spread what was done at university hospitals down to regional hospitals and then doctors will go down to work at health centers.
It is a step that will be achieved little by little.”
Minister Dr. Nsanzimana said that the health advisors will also go there, they will also have higher knowledge, the goal is to provide the people with the treatment they need without difficulty.
In his address to the participants of the meeting, he also referred to Rwanda's plan to increase the number of medical, nursing and midwifery graduates from 2,000 to 8,000 every year.
The director said that in the first year of this program, the number of students enrolled in medicine increased by 3.6 times, using existing schools, and there was a way to consolidate all medical schools through a signed agreement.
Last year it was announced that 70% of medical workers work 60 hours a week while the labor law in Rwanda stipulates that they should work at least between 45 and 40 hours, in order to be able to fulfill other duties.