Improving  Medical Assistance Services in Two Health Centers in Kigali, Rwanda

Project location: Rwanda, Kigali
Project start date: December 2012 - Project end date: December 2013
Project number: 2012-098
Beneficiary: Diocese Caritas Kigali

 

The main objectives of the project are improving health of rural poor population, helping them joining the ‘Mutuel de Santé'(medical insurance) and capacity building in order of the health centers to offer a quality health care.
The health center of KININI is situated in the North Province of Rwanda, in the district of RULINDO. It is a new health center witch was built by Kigali Archdiocese. It was opened on December/ 12th/2011.
KININI region is located in the high mountains; it has a high density of poor population. Most of them are rural subsistence farmers who struggle so much to meet their food needs. As a result, many cases of malnutrition are reported at this health center.
As a new health center the nurses and others persons who work in this health center need some training in order to offer quality health care to patients. The population of this region doesn't have an education in diseases prevention, malnutrition.
KININI health center offers medical care to a population of 15,365 who come from tree sectors: RUSIGA, MBOGO, and BUSHOKI. Services offered by the center are:
- Curative Consultation which consults on average 75 patients a day
- Hospitalisation which receives 10 patients on average a day
- Maternity
- Vaccination
- Nutritition and balanced diet service
- Voluntary HIV/AIDS testing.

The center employs:
- 9 nurses with a secondary school diploma
- 1 accountant with a secondary school diploma
- 1 Laboratory workers with a secondary school diploma
- 1 social assistant with a secondary school diploma
- 3 assistant agents.

At this center, many cases of vermimose, malaria and malnutrition occurs, which are beyond the qualification of workers and the capacity of the center.

Shyorongi Health Center is also an authorized health center owned by the catholic archdiocese of Kigali. It is situated in the sector of Shyorongi, district of Rulindo in the North province. This Health center offers health care to a population of more than 14.500. Its zone of influence covers four sectors with 12 villages. On top of that, it serves another population outside the Rulindo district.
The staffs of this health center include
- 15 nurses with a secondary school diploma
- 3 social assistant with a secondary school diploma
- 11 assisting agents
- 1 accountant with a secondary school diploma
- 2 Laboratory workers with a secondary school diploma.

The services offered by the center include:
- Curative Consultation which receives an average of 95 patients a day
- Hospitalisation which receives on average 50 patients a day
- Maternity Hospital which receives 10 wife a day on the average.
- Prenatal Consultation which receives on average 30 pregnant wives a day
- Nutrition
- Vaccination.
There are some diseases or infections that are reported at the center. They include respiratory infections, malaria, and diarrhea. Most of them are beyond the capacity of the center or beyond the qualification of the staff.
The health center serves rural and subsistence farmers devastated by deep levels of poverty. For this reason, many rampant cases of malnutrition are reported at the center.
Besides deep levels of poverty, the poor local population find it difficult to reach the center because of the geographic position. The access of the center is limited by the fact it is landlocked in the high mountains.
The deep levels of poverty among local population served by the center make it difficult for them to pay the membership of ‘Mutuel de Santé' which is strongly recommended by the ministry of health. This denies them the access of the medicine, even the most essential ones.

Keeping in mind the above situation, the approach will not be limited only to HIV/AIDS and opportunists infections. Caritas Kigali will support and call upon communities not only to join ‘Mutuel de Santé' but also to make income generating projects. It is planning to buy medicaments for patients served by the two centers. The medicaments will allow the two centers to offer health care to the most vulnerable populations. Even though, these medicaments are for sale, they will not be given for free. The population will only contribute 10% of the normal cost. This means that there will be 90 % discount to the normal cost. The contribution of the patients will increase the Mutuel de Santé's fund. The money will also be used to buy seeds of different vegetables including Sosoma and to provide a balanced and sufficient diet to malnourished children.
Caritas Kigali also plans to buy some medical materials for the 2 Health centers and to build the capacity of medical personnel in quality health care and customer care, so that the population of these health centers will receive the education in diseases prevention and malnutrition.

The Nando Peretti Foundation awarded a grant to this project to accompany the population during one year period.
By the end of this project, all poor households will be able to join Mutuel de Santé (medical insurance) so as to receive health care whenever they are sick. The improvement of life conditions will decrease the morbidity rate thanks to the increase of services. The number of malnutrition cases among children especially those infected by HIV/AIDS will be also be reduced.


Diocese Caritas Kigali
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