By Daniel Sabiiti
The New Times

As the Gacaca progress gets underway in Kibungo, health issues have not been ignored.

As one enters this beautiful region covered with large banana plantations, hospitals located along the main road are a sign that the province has not lagged behind in the health sector.

As you travel along the Kibungo highway one of the first attractions as you enter the town of Rwamagana is the beauty of the health facilities in Rwamagana hospital. The buildings are painted and decent.

As a journalist I almost failed to find some of the problems that face such a hospital, which is presently seeking a referral status, because since last year the hospital handles over 70,000 patients from the neighbouring provinces of Kigali Ngali, Mutara and within Kibungo.

"The fact is that the hospital has adapted internal order and regulation and the local leaders, together with church based organs, have worked had to improve the state of the hospital," says Jean-Baptiste Sahara, the District medical officer and Director of the Rwamagna Central Hospital.

The current state of Rwamagana hospital compared to the rest of the district hospitals in Kibungo province has the capability to be upgraded to a referral hospital in the region," he emphasised.

When asked why he would like to have the hospital upgraded, Sahara said that the hospital currently handles many more patients than its required capacity.

"We have most of the basic facilities like beds, water, power and workers, but because of the increasing numbers we anticipate that the referral status will require more facilities and workers in order to have a balanced ratio," he said.

"This means an increase in the number of employees. The health district employs 258 workers combined, 80 of them in Rwamagana hospital (10 of them are qualified doctors)." Beside Rwamagana Health Centre, which also shares some of the privileges of the main hospital unlike the other centres in the jurisdiction of Rwamagana health district. Some of the patients can easily be referred to the hospital because it is near.

However, Sahara reflects saying that other health centres have lost motivation in their activities because of the lack of drugs and facilities.

There is no one who can live without needs in this life. Though Rwamagana is doing well, they also face problem of increasing numbers of patients from most parts of the Province. This implies that it may have the facilities like wards will have to be expanded in future.

According to Sahara the prices of drugs have kept increasing in the past. For example the reagents used in the laboratory tests shot up from Frw11, 000 to 38,000 since last year.

The hospital also currently needs specialists like a gynaecologist, a permanent surgeon- since they depend on a Kigali based surgeon.

"All this success that is evident in the hospital is because of the technical support that we receive from districts of Rwamagana, Muhazi and Kabarondo and Church based organs, without forgetting the police who have reduced the numbers of accidents on the main road."

Though currently Rwamagana does not have power problems, the hospital will soon receive a new generator from global fund. The laboratory equipment is currently down completely, so tests cannot be carried out easily. There is hope that the hospital will acquire new equipment.

He said that the numbers of patients are set to increase in the year because of the health insurance policy known as Mutuelle de sante. About 50% of the locals have sought Mutuelle de sante in the last month of February in Rwamagana district.

Jean Claude Munyaneza, one of the patients that seemed to be happy with the services at the hospital, said that there are some delays because of the many people but this is common though. "This is because most of the patients have joined mutuelle de sante. I believe that the hospital is good and we have not been lacking water," he adds