How Dr. Susan Homeida is helping shape a world-class medical and educational hub in Kigali.
On a warm Kigali morning, sunlight spills over the manicured greens of the city’s golf course, overlooking this serene landscape stands a sleek building in Nyarutarama—home to a quiet revolution in healthcare.
Frontier Diagnostic Center is more than a medical facility. It is a modern clinical facility and a symbol of what can be achieved at the intersection of Sudanese medical expertise and Rwanda’s ambitious vision for progress. For many, it represents hope and a new chapter in the transformation of African healthcare.
Dr. Susan Mamoun Homeida, the Managing Director of Frontier Diagnostic Center
At the heart is Dr. Susan Mamoun Homeida, the Managing Director and a consultant haematologist. Her journey across continents has shaped a mission rooted in excellence, service, and the belief that every community deserves access to world-class care.
Dr. Susan was born in Bristol, UK, and moved to Sudan at age 10, where she grew up and completed her medical degree at the University of Khartoum. She later returned to the United Kingdom to specialize in clinical hematology and worked there for 14 years before relocating to Sudan in 2015 to manage one of the country’s largest hospitals and teach at a leading university.
“It was an opportunity to serve my own people,” she says. “But I knew my mission would one day extend beyond Sudan.”
Sudan’s political upheaval brought uncertainty to institutions and professionals alike. “We anticipated it and the most important thing was to rescue the university. It was a major concern for the founder of the University prof. Mamoun who built this institution through the years ,” she notes.
In 2020, she accepted an invitation from a Sudanese colleague to explore investment opportunities in Rwanda. What she found left a lasting impression: order, cleanliness, security, and a sense of collective discipline. “Rwanda stood out immediately,” she said.
Beyond these qualities, it was Rwanda’s national ethos that resonated with her. “Rwanda is a living example of how leadership can unite a people,” she observes. “With good governance, it rebuilt itself through discipline, unity, and purpose. That inspires us.” Our family’s vision aligned naturally with Rwanda’s long-term strategy of building a knowledge-driven economy, advancing digital innovation, and strengthening its healthcare system.
The Homeida family is no stranger to institution-building. For over two decades, their University of Medical Science and Technology (UMST) in Sudan educated thousands of doctors, nurses, and different medical practitioners from across Africa and the Arab world. Professor Mamaoun Homeida, the family patriarch and former WHO consultant spent decades traveling through rural African communities, delivering healthcare and training. Frontier Diagnostic Center represents the continuation of that legacy, now taking root in Rwanda.
Patients encounter high standards of medical service.
The center is equipped with state of art modern equipment and specialized medical units like; MRI machine, advanced CT-scan technology, fully automated laboratory, FDR Smart digital X-rays, and modern echocardiography, ultrasound, Mamography, new EEG and EMG machines . Its specialized clinics includes: Pediatric, Obstetrics & Gynecology with 4D Ultrasound, Cardiology, Gastroenterology with advanced Endoscopy unit, ENT, Neurology, Neurosurgeon, Rheumatology, Orthopedic, Physiotherapy, e.t.c.
For many Rwandans, such services previously required traveling abroad.
“Rwandans deserve world-class healthcare at home,” Dr. Susan said. “Our mission is to make advanced diagnostics accessible, accurate, and reliable.”
Yet technology alone doesn’t define this health facility but also the people behind it.
Janvier Munyaneza, One of Frontier staff who joined the center during its construction phase describes Frontier Diagnostic Center as life-changing. Frontier continues to contribute to our development as staff financially and professionally.
“I achieved many things since I joined Frontier Team . I got married and acquired different assets while working here,” he said. The staff is multicultural, including Sudanese, Rwandans, Filipinos, Egyptians, and British consultants. Janvier says this diversity makes the health facility feel like a family.
Dr. Susan stresses the importance of inclusion and respect. “We give space for opinions. Our team helps shape decisions. We grow together,” she said. The Center’s strong staff retention reflects this culture with a few leaving once they join.
Beyond clinical care, Frontier Diagnostic Center is nurturing a broader vision: medical education. Plans are underway to build a large teaching hospital in Kigali-Busanza and will serve as a referral center and educational institution. Already, Rwandan nurses have received advanced intensive care training in Sudan, with expanded programs on the horizon.
Frontier hospital unser construction will open soon in Busanza-Kigali
The Center also aims to extend its reach beyond Kigali so that all Rwandans can access health care services near their homes. ” All Rwandans should have access for excellent health care near home,” Dr. Susan emphasized. “ A mother in Rusizi deserves to be scanned near home, We want to make contribute in this .”
Running a high-quality facility comes with challenges. Modern equipment is costly, specialized staff are scarce, and training programs require significant resources. But Dr. Susan remains unfazed. “Every day brings a challenge,” she said. “But challenges are opportunities in disguise.” Frontier is also investing in digital systems to improve communication and efficiency.
“If you want to go far, go together,” Dr. Susan Momoun notes. “Rwanda is a nation determined to go far.” Her mission remains clear: to build institutions that endure, train generations of future health workers, and ensure that every Rwandan and African can access the care they deserve.
