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Rwanda International Health Insurance / Healthcare System
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 The Republic
of Rwanda is a small country located in East Africa. With a
population of approximately 11.1 million people and a land area of
26,388 square kilometers, Rwanda is the most densely populated
country in Africa. Rwanda is bordered by Uganda in the north,
Tanzania in the east, Burundi in the south the Democratic Republic
of Congo in the west. Rwanda's population is dispersed throughout
the country; approximately 1 million people live in the capital
Kigali, with Butare, Gitarama, and Ruhengeri also relatively
densely populated. Rwanda's genocide in 1994 has left the country
deprived of human resources and has discouraged private and
external investment. Today, Rwanda depends highly on international
aid to rebuild and stabilize its economy and resources.
After Rwanda gained its independence from Belgium in 1962, the
country experienced internal conflicts between the Hutu leaders
and the rebelling Tutsi communities. In 1994, the Hutu Government
initiated the 'Final Solution', a genocide that aimed to eradicate
the Tutsi population. The genocide, a mass murder that took place
in Rwanda in 1994, killed approximately 20 per cent of the
population. After the genocide, around 2 million Hutu perpetrators
fled Rwanda to neighboring countries.
Today, Rwanda continues to experience challenges associated with
the genocide. A large number of children are left orphaned in
Rwanda and there is a dangerous shortage of skilled professionals.
Doctors, nurses and other health care staff are extremely limited
in Rwanda and the developing country can not afford to recruit
skilled medical personnel from overseas.
Rwanda's health care system experiences many challenges involving
access to quality health care and lack of human resources. There
is a lack of experienced medical staff, the doctor to patient
ratio is very low, and there are not enough health facilities to
meet the needs of the large population. Referral hospitals,
emergency health care and specialty physicians are all located in
the capital Kigali, forcing patients to travel great distances to
receive adequate health care. Electricity supply is erratic in
Rwanda, placing an extra burden on the country’s health care
system. Electricity shortages in Rwanda affect the delivery of
health care services, the storage of medical supplies, bloody
safety, and health administration and information systems.
Around 55 percent of the Rwanda population does not have adequate
access to sanitation, resulting in a high prevalence of waterborne
diseases in the country. Cholera, typhoid fever and Hepatitis A
can be transmitted via water sources in Rwanda. Expats living in
Rwanda must be highly aware of safe drinking water and hygiene
practices.
HIV/AIDS is highly prevalent in Rwanda. Due to high prevalence of
HIV/AIDS, many children are orphaned. Those at higher risk in
Rwanda include women aged 18-24 years and working in prostitution.
There is a higher prevalence of HIV/AIDS in urban areas than
rural. HIV/AIDS in Rwanda is also transmitted via mother to child,
sexual violence, and contaminated bloody supplies.
Malnutrition is a serious problem in Rwanda. During periods of
drought, up to 90 percent of agricultural crops are eradicated;
resulting in widespread food shortages. With limited food sources,
food prices increase in Rwanda. It is estimated that 28 percent of
the population is deprived of food and approximately 40 percent of
children suffer from malnourishment. The Rwanda Government,
international and charitable organizations have provided aid in
the funding of nutritional rehabilitation programs that hope to
serve the population in the future.
The healthcare system in Rwanda falls under three levels including
referral hospitals, district hospitals, and community centers or
health posts. The referral hospitals in Rwanda are based in the
capital Kigali. The King Faisal Hospital, state owned and
privately managed, is regarded as the best hospital in Rwanda. The
state-owned Kigali Central Hospital is the main teaching facility
in Rwanda. The Kanombe Military Hospital provides services to
military and public patients. Health centers are located in
districts throughout the country, providing basic preventative
medicine and family planning services. Patients must obtain a
referral by their general practitioner, prior to specialist
consultations.
The King Faisal Hospital has received international accreditation
from the Council for Health Services Accreditation of South Africa
(COSHAHA). The hospital significantly improved its service
standards following its failed attempt to receive accreditation in
2006. The King Faisal Hospital later achieved its accreditation in
2010. The King Faisal Hospital offers departments in emergency,
internal medicine, endoscopy, stomatology, radiological,
pharmaceutical, labatory, dentistry, physiotherapy, HIV/AIDS, and
surgery. The King Faisal Hospital has intensive care units for
adult and neonatal patients. Diagnostic equipment is limited,
however services are available including X-ray, CT scan,
Echocardiogram (EKO), and fluroscopy. Specialist physicians are
available at the King Faisal Hospital in neurosurgery, oncology,
urology, endocrinology, anesthesia, and dialysis.
The Kigali Central Hospital is the main referral center for public
patients. The hospital provides emergency and general surgery and
specializes in treatment for tuberculosis patients. The Kanombe
Military Hospital is located in a town outside Kigali. The
hospital specializes in providing mental health, maternity,
ophthalmology, X-ray, and basic emergency care services. Outside
of Kigali, there are a few small charitable hospitals located in
Kibagora, Ruhengeri, and Rwinkavu. They provide basic emergency
care, maternity care and general surgery.
A comprehensive health insurance plan is highly recommended for
expats and travelers to Rwanda. Developing countries such as
Rwanda can not provide the level of care that may be required.
Patients requiring a higher level of care must travel overseas to
Nairobi or Pretoria, where a wider range of health care services
are available. For example, patients who require an MRI scan are
referred to a hospital in Nairobi. Patients requiring complex
medical care, such as heart surgery, are referred to South Africa
or overseas to the United States. For this reason it is incredibly
important to ensure that your insurance policy covers emergency
medical evacuation and transportation, as these services can be
enormously expensive.
In the event of a serious illness or accident, emergency medical
evacuation to Kenya or South Africa will be required. A health
insurance plan must include extensive medical coverage to ensure
the right level of medical care is covered overseas, including
private health care facilities. Due to increased funding, private
hospitals typically provide a higher level of medical care
compared to public facilities. Private hospitals are equipped with
availability of modern medical equipment and recruitment of
experienced staff. In any developing country, private health care
facilities are generally recommended.
Rwanda is hoping to improve its social, health and welfare system;
with Government and international charity programs currently in
place. Rwanda is one of eight countries that receive assistance
from the United Nations under the ‘Delivering as One’ program.
Areas of focus include health, HIV/AIDS, social welfare and
education, economic and political stability.
Emergency protocols should be adopted by residents during the
event of an accident, serious illness or criminal offense. To call
an ambulance or police service within Rwanda dial 1-1-2. Ambulance
services are limited to Kigali and provide transportation only,
with virtually no medical care. The emergency contact for King
Faisal Hospital is 078-830-9003.
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Rwanda International Health Insurance |
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For more information about Rwanda medical insurance plans, or to
receive a free Rwanda International Health Insurance Quote, please
contact one of our dedicated advisers today.
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