Geo Zhiqiang Commercial Councillor, Chinese Embassy discusses with Jean Baptiste Habumuremyi, Director, Gahanga Health Centre as Chinese Doctors look on.
The Gahanga Health Centre, is one of the busiest in the country. On Friday however, the hardworking team, could afford a few moments of rest. The China Medical Team, came bearing not only gifts, but the medical expertise and the willingness to work alongside their Rwandan colleagues, for an entire day.
It is first come first served, at the health centres, and knowing that, patients arrive early. By 8:30am, the reception at the Gahanga Health Centre, was packed with patients, waiting to be seen.
Few paid much attention to a mini bus and 4X4 vehicle, which arrived, full of Chinese people. The vehicles’ occupants too were fully focused on what had brought them to the centre. No sooner had they parked the vehicles, than they donned white coats and stethoscopes. The Chinese Medical team, normally based at Masaka hospital, had come to spend a day, treating patients at the Gahanga Health Centre.
Slowly, the patients began to realise that their normally long wait to be seen, might not be so long. And not only that. For that day, Gahanga could diagnose patients they would normally refer to the main hospitals.
Health centres are mostly staffed by nurses and midwives. More serious cases are referred to the hospital in teir catchment area. Today, on its premises, the centre could boast specialists in gynecology, Orthopedics, internists, general practitioners, and Chinese medicine traditional medicine.
Chinese doctors and nurses set up the clinic.
“We are very pleased to be able to be here, supporting Gahanga healthy centre, to treat patients, we hope that a lot of people are aware that we are here today, so we can see as many patients as possible” said Dr Zhao Zheng, who also doubles as a translator.
Dr Zheng’s words and enthusiasm for his work, were music to the hard pressed ears of the centre’s head, Jean-Baptist Habumuremyi. His main wish is for his visitors to be less visitors and become a more regular presence.
“More and more people are moving to Gahanga, and as the population grows so does the demand on the centre. If our Chinese colleagues came more often, not only would we be able to diagnose and treat people here, which would not only help us, but would also mean that we take some pressure off the hospital, because we would not have to refer so many patients to them” he said.
He may not get the regular presence he would prefer, but in his conversation with the Commercial Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy, Geo Zhiqiang, Habumuremyi requested, and got a promise, that the medical would visit on a quarterly basis.
A team of Chinese doctors and nurses that received and treated patients.
The medical team is supported by the Chinese Embassy, and Zhiqiang had come to thank both the team for their work, and the centre for receiving them. He also brought medical supplies and equipment, as gifts for the centre.
He assured Habumuremyi of continued support, offering to establish an ongoing partnership with the centre.
A gratified Habumuremyi insisted that it is the centre that should thank the Embassy and the medical team, for their friendship and support. He hoped he said, that their collaboration would be permanent.
Judging from Zhiqiang’s reaction, a new partnership that will almost certainly have patients flocking to the Gahanga health centre, seems to have begun.
