A Rwanda Defence Forces Physician interacts with a Resident in Gicumbi: The Army usually offers free medical services.
The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) has launched its annual Army Week – but this time reaching out to a wide range of beneficiaries and over much longer timeframe.
Between May 4th and July 4th – a date corresponding with Liberation Day – RDF, its partners – mainly government institutions and local communities will meet at designated venues across the country to conduct eight vital activities.
The activities include health – offering free medical services in orthopedics, to deal with correction of deformities of bones or muscles, then surgery.
In this health intervention also, benefiting free treatment from military doctors are all the people with dental or Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) issues.
As they have been doing in previous army weeks, RDF medical teams will also provide eye and vision treatments.
They will deal with gynaecological issues while treating women who suffered serious diseases that require specialist treatment.
Speaking to the media on May 3, Lt Col René Ngendahimana, RDF spokesperson said, “In this program, we call upon Rwandans with such problems to follow our programs so that they do not miss out. Most especially, we are targeting those vulnerable Rwandans who have been living with a medical problem for long and may have been unable to get treatment due to financial constraints.”
Ngendahimana also said that contrary to previous army weeks where medical interventions were carried in one specific area of the country, the military medical teams will meet patients at almost all the hospitals across the country.
Army week at another site previously
Through its Engineering Brigade and Reserve Force, RDF will also rehabilitate 18 bridges and 1 feeder road and also contribute to construction of water access point/ facilities.
Another important activity is marshland and hillside farming whereby RDF will conduct terracing activities, and contribute to development of marshlands.
“We are mainly targeting those marshlands that are not being used effectively because farmers were not able to develop them,” said Lt Col Ngendahimana.
Other activities are construction or rehabilitation or construction of shelter for vulnerable communities, classrooms and sanitation structures.
Army week will also include environmental protection campaign, and installation of solar energy on family homes.
Ngendahimana said, these activities intend to assure human security which is fundamental in defining the general context of security.
As Army week kicks off today, Minister of Defence General James Kabarebe will launch construction of six classrooms in Urumuri Zone, Akayange Village, Ndama Cell of Karangazi sector, Nyagatare district.
At the same time, RDF medical team will be treating patients at Nyagatare hospital while another team will be working on water supply line; Ntoma-Musheri-Ryabega-Karangazi.
Back in Kigali, the Chief of Defence Staff General Patrick Nyamvumba will be working with Ministry of Agriculture to develop the Mushumba mwiza marshland in Kicukiro district, as Ministry of Infrastructure and Engineering Bde repairs a bridge in Kanombe sector, Busanza cell.
Other events in Army Week launch will also take place across the country involving RDF and its partnering institutions – ministries of: Health, Local Government, Infrastructure, Education, Youth and ICT, Agriculture, Gender and Family Promotion.
