CHUB
At the fore of
enhancing medical skills
patients beds was increased from
200 to 500.
In 2002, CHUB was put under
the supervision of the Ministry of
Health, but retains management
autonomy. In January 2014, the
hospital was given two more
missions; working with the Ministry
of Health in establishing Health
Care Guideline and establish
relationships with local and
international health institutions.
Quality Services
Despite the ravages of war genocide,
the hospital has been reconstructed,
re-equipped and the personnel,
medical and support, equipped
with skills to deliver better
medical services. The hospital
director says the hospital today
has modern medical equipment
serving Rwandans and others from
neighbouring countries.”
Dialysis center among
new services at CHUB
The service of diagnosing and
treating patients with kidney
failure at CHUB started in January
200 when a dialysis unit where
kidney problems are treated was
established. Patients under mutuelle
de santé are also treated from the
facility after applying with the
MINISANTE, which subsidizes the
medical expenses.
Patients say that although it is not
easy to access dialysis services,
when a patient is admitted in the
unit he recovers due to advanced
services provided.
Samuel Ndayambaje, 50, who this
writer finds in the hospital, admitted
in dialysis unit, says he was brought
here on 26 May 2014when he
was unconscious but he is now
recovering. The cost of this service
is still expensive but cheaper than
going abroad.
University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB)
By Nsengiyumva Fidèle
University Teaching Hospital of
Butare (CHUB) located in the
southern province, Huye district is
one of the main hospitals in Rwanda.
The hospital offers a number of
services; clinical services, teaching
and research, supervising district
hospitals, working with the Ministry
of Health in enhancing quality
health services and collaborating
with other institutions with the
same mission.
The Hospital has specialized
doctors in various medical practices
including; reproductive health,
internal health care, pediatrics,
ophtamology, surgery, among
others.
Dr Sendegeya Augustin, Director of
University Teaching Hospital of Butare
CHUB works with national and
international universities and
higher institutions in trainings and
capacity building to nurses in the
country and facilitates students
and researchers. It coordinates
15 hospitals in the Southern and
Western Province where it provides
specialization in different domains
like ophtamology, paediatrics and
Paediatric Palliative Care.
Medical students at CHUB say
they get a chance to learn as they
practice, strengthening their
knowledge, skills and performance.
“Here we learn as we practice,
translating theory into practice. So
when we start practicing, we are not
met with many challenges,” confides
one of the students.
CHUB was constructed in 1928
during the colonial period as a small
medical facility. In 1967, the hospital
was handed over the National
University of Rwanda (UNR),
medical department as a training
facility until after the 1994 genocide
against Tutsi.
Dr Sendegeya Augustin, Hospital
Director, says that although
after genocide the hospital was
considered as a referral, it had lost
much of its status as a hospital;
equipment had been looted, medical
workers and other staff had been
killed and others had fled the
country for fear of being killed or
for fear of being brought to book for
killing. Only 10 practitioners had
been left.
Today, the hospital counts 50
specialists and the number of
The dialysis unit is equipped
with 11 machines that support in
the process of treatment making
recovery faster.
Tuberculosis diagnosis
By using BACTEC MGIT 960
machine, CHUB can diagnose TB for
early detection and therefore early
beginning of treatment.
Musangamfura Illuminé who works
in TB treatment department says
that early detection of tuberculosis
helps in treating and healing.
“Sometimes a patient is diagnosed
and we don’t find TB because the
bacteria are still small. Here, with
the diagnosing equipment we have,
can cultivate the crash from the
patient and follow up how bacteria
are developing. Compared to the
growing number of patients; it is
clear that the machine is helping
in preventing tuberculosis and
determine TB medicines depending
on the stage of the disease.”
According to Habarugira Felix, who
works in HIV/AIDS services, besides
diagnosing TB, CHUB laboratory has
different facilities used for CD count
for HIV positive people, among
others. The hospital also has a
COBAS C 311 machine, which is used
to test and provide results within a
very short period. Sangwa Innocent
CHUB at the time of the genocide
and others that are deemed to be
very poor.
During this year, the hospital
CHUB financially supported a
genocide widow with capital
of Rwf1,000,000 and gave
Rwf500,000 to children and other
scholastic materials. The hospital
has also given out 19 cows this
year (in addition to 49 given out
before) to genocide survivors in
Kinazi sector through the Girinka
program.
After the performing of Umuganda,
CHUB staff usually engage
sanitation and hygiene awareness
campaigns and other counseling
services.
Liberation, consumption of
A patient being attended at dialysis unit
who works in the diagnosis
department at CHUB says COBAS
C 311has been operational since
2011. The hospital also has a
T-Scanner.
CHUB challenges
Dr Sendegeya says although they
have advanced medical equipment,
there is need to acquire more that
match with modern technologies.
Another challenges hinges around
the number of medical doctors
which is still low especially
specialists in surgery and mental
health.
The director of CHUB, Dr.
Sendegeya Augustin, urges
Rwandans to increase the
consumption of medical services.
“We liberate ourselves from
disease by taking timely medical
checks and prompt treatment
of diseases. Rwandan medical
doctors are ready to serve every
Rwandan so that they can be
productive and contribute to
national development.”
He says that whenever there’s a
service which is not available at
CHUB they collaborate with other
hospitals for referrals in addition
to working with international
hospitals.
Supporting communities
Besides treatment, CHUB supports
individuals and households in
meeting their non-medical needs,
to especially, survivors of the 1994
genocide against the Tutsi.
The support is extended to two
categories of people; those who lost
relatives that were working with
medical services
Cobas C 311 machine used to diagnose
He says with the medical insurance
opportunity offered through
mutuelle de santé, as a home
grown initiative, there is no reason
why people should not improve
their health with the consumption
of medical services.