The University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) is preparing to move its services to an expanded Masaka Hospital, giving Rwanda a larger facility for patient care, medical training and research.
The move will be carried out in phases to keep essential services running at CHUK’s existing location in central Kigali, Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana said Friday.
The expanded Masaka facility has 837 beds, 13 buildings and 22 operating theatres. It has grown from 6,389 square meters to 56,957 square meters and is designed to handle up to 2,000 outpatient visits a day.
“This is a special day for us as the government of Rwanda, but also as the health sector, to officially receive the newly constructed Masaka Hospital,” Nsanzimana said during the handover ceremony.
The minister said the hospital will offer advanced medical services and create room for services that are currently limited in Rwanda, including organ transplantation, advanced surgery and bone marrow transplantation.
He said the facility could also serve patients from other African countries, while reducing the need for some Rwandans to travel abroad for treatment.
The hospital will also be used for medical research and training. Nsanzimana said technology could allow Rwandan doctors to work remotely with specialists in other countries during complex procedures.
Chinese doctors are expected to work alongside Rwandan health professionals at the facility.
The project, funded by the Chinese government, is the largest grant-aid project China has undertaken in Rwanda. The original China-aided Masaka Hospital began operating in 2011, while plans for its expansion and renovation were agreed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Rwanda in 2018.
Chinese Ambassador Gao Wenqi said the completed facility could eventually develop into a regional medical hub serving East Africa and other parts of the continent.
China plans to continue supporting the hospital through medical training, clinical mentorship, research and cooperation in health technology, Gao said.
The expanded hospital was formally handed over to Rwanda on Friday, marking the completion of its construction phase.
