By Elie Mutangana

Kibungo Hospital has inaugurated a surgical complex composed of an ICU, HDU, and a teaching space aimed to expand the hospital’s ability to deliver safe, timely surgical care to communities in Rwanda’s eastern province and beyond.

Health ministry officials and representatives of Operation Smile and local government leaders commissioned the 10-bed ICU and four operating theaters worth over Rwf500 million on Friday, March 19.

The remodeled Kibungo level two teaching hospital located in the Ngoma district is part of eight hospitals selected to receive targeted support and to form a connected surgical network in Rwanda that improves referrals, strengthens district-level capacity and reduces the need for families to travel long distances for care.

The facility is also an outcome of the Operation Smile’s hub‑and‑spoke surgical model designed to decentralize specialized care.

“This facility is more than just a building; it represents hope, progress, and our shared commitment to provide safe, timely, and quality surgical care for our community,” said Jean Marie Vianney Ndayizigiye, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, at the official inauguration.

He urged healthcare workers, students, and other beneficiaries to leverage the facility for honing their skills to be able to cater to the community in need of care.

Residents of the Ngoma district welcomed the facility and expressed hope that it would cut travel and long waits for surgical care far from their homes.

” The need for surgical care has been prevalent here in the Ngoma district. and our surrounding areas. We could travel a distance to Kigali to seek surgical care.” Said a local community health worker.

According to Dr. Jean Claude Munyemana, the Director General of the Kibungo hospital, having the facilities and becoming part of the hub-and-spoke network strengthens their ability to serve the community.

“With enhanced infrastructure, new equipment, and continued training, we can provide safe surgery and be closer to home and reduce the financial burden on families who previously had to travel far for care. ” he said.

Though the Kibungo level two hospital gradually increases its capacity, Ngoma district authority expressed the need for construction of a district level hospital to assist the existing hospital.

Andrew Karima, Country Manager, Operation Smile Rwanda, emphasized continuing commitment to help Rwanda’s health sector build systems that last.

“By working hand in hand with the Ministry of Health of Rwanda and our hospital partners, we are ensuring that patients in Rwanda can access high-quality surgical care closer to home today and for generations to come”. Karima said

Increasing the number of surgeries

Despite significant gains in health outcomes, Rwanda continues to face a critical surgical gap. Rwanda currently delivers approximately 1788. procedures per 100,000 people. However, the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery recommends 500 procedures per 100,0000.

Additionally, the country counts 0.9 operation rooms (OR) per 100,000, while the standard is a minimum of 5 OR per 100,000 people.

Surgeons stress that there is still a need to put more effort into training surgeons for bridging the gap between the workforce and number of patients in need of surgical care.

“Surgery is unique, with multiple specialties. It means that no single surgeon can operate from toe to head.

“As both surgeon and educator, I see the power of integrating training with service delivery.” Said Faustin Ntirengana, a full professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery and director of Global Surgery Research Hub of the University of Rwanda.

While the abundant surgical workforce and services are concentrated in the cities, with Kigali having around 70%, Ntirenganya proposes that surgery should be decentralized towards lower-level hospitals, including level 2 teaching hospitals.

Over the next five years, partnership with Operation Smile, alongside other partners, will increase investment in surgical training, mentorship, and infrastructure to strengthen surgical systems through the Operation 100 initiative.