Construction of the US $100m hospital in Rwanda is set to begin early next year and be concluded after three years. This is according to the Ministry of Health.
Malick Kayumba, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health said construction of the hospital which will be the new University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), will be located in Masaka. In February, the government intended to relocate CHUK from the Central Business District but not much – including cost estimates of the new facility – was, at the time divulged.
“Currently, the Chinese are in the process of recruiting a construction company and the budget is put at US $100m. The new project will bring onboard 837 beds and this is a significant boost to the health sector,” said Malick Kayumba.
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Construction of hospital
Malick Kayumba explained that CHUK’s current location – opposite Kigali Serena Hotel, is a prime plot designated for apartments. The present CHUK was constructed in 1918 and it started operations in 1928. Initially, it operated as a health centre before upgrading to a hospital, in 1965. The facility currently serves as a referral hospital.
She further noted that all aspects were being handled by the Ministry of Health and the designs for the facility’s new location were being wrapped up, with the help of the Chinese government.
Health sector in Rwanda
Since the genocide, Rwanda has doubled its life expectancy and now offers a replicable model for delivery of high quality health care with limited resources. Over the last ten years, the county’s health system development has led to the most dramatic improvements of health in history.
Rwanda is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa on track to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals. Deaths from HIV, TB, and malaria have each dropped by roughly 80% over the last decade and the maternal mortality ratio dropped by 60 percent over the same period
