Kibagabaga Hospital Expansion: A Game-Changer for Maternal Health Services

With the intention of increasing the quality of health services, the Government of Rwanda, in collaboration with the Belgian government through the Belgian development agency, Enabel, has been supporting a programme dubbed BARAME aimed at ensuring that all women, new-borns,  children, adolescents, and men have universal access to quality integrated RMNCAH (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health) and/or FP/ASRH (Family Planning and Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health) services.

The Belgian development agency is supporting the construction of the Kibagabaga Maternity, which is expected to provide medical services to mothers, as well as being a model in Rwanda in providing services to support mothers who have given birth.

Kibagabaga Hospital was constructed through Belgo-Rwanda cooperation in 2006. Extension of the hospital with a design allowing a birth companion (husband, mother, sister, friend…) to be with the expecting mother throughout her stay in the hospital during labor, during delivery, and post-delivery.

This building, when completed, will have the capacity to accommodate 194 hospital beds where the patient can spend days of care, 37 non-hospital beds where the patient is cared for temporarily, and 58 incubators.

The New Kibagabaga Hospital building began in 2023, is scheduled to be completed by March 2025, and will cost 14 billion FRW.

Hospitalized patients at Kibagabaga Hospital said that this construction will solve the problem of those accompanying them missing places to sleep.

Aline Musabyimana, who came from Kayanga Health Center, Rutunga, to Kibagabaga Hospital to give birth, highlighted that the services being provided are good, although there is still the problem of family or parental care or any other servant sleeping on the cement floor. She also emphasized that the construction that is being built, which will include a place for them to rest, will solve a lot of problems.

She said, “The services that are being provided to mothers who come to give birth are good, but the problem is that those who care would sleep on the floor and find that they might get homesick because of the cold outside. The building that is being built will solve a lot of problems because they will also have a place to sleep, which would be good.”

Emmanuel Manirakora, from Bumbogo Sector, whose wife came to give birth at Kibagabaga Hospital from the Kagugu Health Center, expressed his gratitude to Enabel for having the idea of solving the problem of people who had nowhere to rest in the hospital.

He added that his wife was well received even though there is still a problem of people sleeping outside, but he is happy that there is a building that is going to solve this problem.

According to the Rwanda Housing Authority (RFA), the project for this building has reached 36%.

Laurent Preud’homme, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Belgium in Rwanda, reiterated the cooperation with the government of Rwanda both in the health sector and in other sectors, and this cooperation will continue.

He continued by appreciating the country’s vision for 2050 and the sustainable development plan of NST1. Emphasized that the country’s development begins with the good health of its citizens.

Director of Child and Maternal Health Programs at Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), Dr. Cyiza François Regis, revealed that the government is well aware of the problems that parents and patients are presenting to the doctor about not having a place to sleep, but as the capacity continues to be available, this problem will gradually be solved.

He noted that this project aims to reduce the deaths of children and parents and that this building will solve many problems that those seeking services at Kibagabaga Hospital face.

Furthermore, Enabel also constructed the Kiyanza Health Center in the Rulindo district. While Kiyanza HC had one substandard room for maternity services, now there’s a special building for maternity and other services allied to maternity, like ANC FP, which increases the quality-of-service delivery and the safety of clients.

Enabel supported the construction of 3 maternity wards in Rulindo District including the one at Kiyanza Health Centre. In total, 34 maternity wards were constructed or renovated and equipped at health centers in the seven districts of implementation of the Barame Project; offering better quality services allied to maternity including antenatal care, and family planning… which increases the quality-of-service delivery and the safety of clients.