Upgrade works on King Faisal Hospital in Rwanda to be completed in February

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Construction works to upgrade the infrastructure of King Faisal Hospital in Rwanda are set to be completed in February this year. The upgrade works which commenced in January 2020 were scheduled for completion within the same year but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which left most things at a stand still, the completion date was moved at a later date.

According to Miliard Derbew, the Chief Executive Officer of King Faisal Hospital, even after the lifting of the lockdown, the new target deadline of September could not be achieved as there were lockdowns in other parts of the world affecting access to equipment and materials.

“Even though the lockdown had been eased there were delays in arrival of equipment. By August, construction was around 60% complete and by December it was about 90%. We are on the verge of completion. We are working to complete the works and by this week we will commence working on provisional hand over,” he said.

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Upgrade works

The project involves the construction of a new outpatient facility, installation of a premium services clinic, renovation and expansion of the older facility, installation of a ramp connecting the new building and the older one as well as procurement of equipment.

The upgrade which will see the hospital have 45 consultation rooms from about 20 rooms currently, also involves a facelift of the 30-year old hospital, renovating sections of the existing facilities, including the lobby, electricity installations and ramps.

This is the first phase of the infrastructure upgrade with a second phase planned to set up a research and education wing among others. The total cost of the first and second phase which is yet to commence, is expected to be US $20m.

King Faisal Hospital has also since acquired equipment such as a catheterization laboratory, a diagnostic imaging equipment used to visualize the arteries of the heart and the chambers of the heart and treat any abnormality found. The hospital also recently commissioned a new 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Machine, Gastroenterology equipment for procedures such as endoscopy. The hospital has also been on a human resource exercise which seeks to add up to increase the number of specialists available.