Rwanda has launched its largest treatment centre for Covid-19 patients, which is expected to provide relief for overwhelmed hospitals across the country. The new centre has the capacity to admit 140 patients under its intensive care unit and comes at a time when the country is desperately trying to control a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that had by January 8 claimed 115 lives, with 2,313 active cases.
The treatment centre is housed within the newly launched Nyarugenge District Hospital in Kigali City, built to the tune of about $10 million.
“The facility is expected to improve Covid-19 case management. It offers the highest standard of oxygen therapy and its ICU capacity allows to admit 136 patients,” Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) said on Twitter.
Prior to its launch, Rwanda had a total of 114 intensive care unit beds, 90 fixed ventilators and 130 portable ventilators prioritised for Covid-19 patients, according to the Rwanda Biomedical Centre. More than 50 patients needing oxygen and intensive care are slated for transfer to the centre from other treatment centres in Kigali.
Experts anticipate a third wave of the virus infection before the vaccine is accessible to much of the population.
“Covid-19 has some factors in common with the previous respiratory pandemics such the 1918 Spanish Flu. It takes three waves for us to be able to manage it. Since the vaccine will not take effect immediately everywhere at the same time, we might have another wave of infections this year,” Dr Menelas Nkeshimana told The EastAfrican.