Rwanda plans to expand Nyarugenge and Muhima district hospitals as the country prepares to relocate the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) to its new facility in Masaka, Health Minister Dr Sabin Nsanzimana said.
The expansion is intended to ensure patients who may struggle to travel to Masaka can access services at nearby hospitals and to prevent overcrowding after CHUK moves.
CHUK will relocate in phases to avoid disrupting the services it currently provides, Nsanzimana said after the government took over the newly built Masaka Hospital.
“Nyarugenge Hospital has a plan to expand in the second phase, and Muhima Hospital will also be expanded. We want to strengthen these hospitals so that patients who cannot reach Masaka can have somewhere else to go without overcrowding,” Nsanzimana said.
The minister said the government is also upgrading hospitals that are expected to become fully fledged level-two teaching hospitals as the number of doctors and specialists increases.
Kibungo, Rwamagana, Kibagabaga and Nyamata hospitals are among those nearing the requirements for the status, while expansion and renovation works are also underway at Kibuye, Kibogora, Kiziguro and Nyagatare hospitals.
Nsanzimana said the upgrades are expected to accelerate from 2027 as more doctors graduate under the government’s 4×4 programme, which aims to quadruple the number of doctors in the country by 2028.
The first group of students under the programme is expected to graduate next year. The minister said the number of paediatric specialists, for example, is expected to be about five times higher than under the previous training system.
As the number of specialists grows, the government plans to introduce more specialised medical services in provincial hospitals, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for treatment.
The Health Ministry expects the development of level-two teaching hospitals to accelerate from 2027 as more specialists become available to both treat patients and train medical students.
