Health workers in Huye District have raised concerns over staff shortages, inadequate equipment and ageing infrastructure, saying the challenges are affecting the delivery of healthcare services.
The concerns were raised with Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana during a visit to health facilities in the district.
Nsanzimana said the challenges are not unique to Huye, with health facilities across Rwanda facing similar problems.
He identified ageing infrastructure as one of the major challenges and said the government is working on a broader plan to address it.
“Health centres across Rwanda face about three major challenges. The first is ageing infrastructure, and that is what we want to address on a wider scale,” Nsanzimana said.
He said the need for new and improved health infrastructure is particularly urgent in rapidly growing urban areas, where population growth and expanding settlements are increasing demand for healthcare services.
“We need to move faster and keep pace with development and the way people are settling, while ensuring that health services are provided alongside that development,” he said.
Rwanda currently has about 1,200 health posts and more than 500 health centres.
The shortage of doctors remains another challenge facing the health sector. The Ministry of Health expects the situation to begin improving from 2027, when the first group of about 1,000 newly trained doctors is expected to graduate.
The ministry says the additional doctors will help increase the number of medical professionals available to provide healthcare services across the country.
Nsanzimana assured health workers who raised the concerns that the ministry would work to address the challenges affecting their facilities.
The minister said the government is taking steps to find solutions to the problems affecting the functioning of health facilities and improve the quality of services provided to patients.
