Possibilities for future cooperation were discussed when Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr Diane Gashumba, met with the Life Support Foundation Board last week in Stockholm. In a country where there are less than 30 Anaesthetist Doctors, the needs of specialist training and knowledge sharing were stressed.
The meeting between representatives from the Board of Life Support Foundation and The Republic of Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr Diane Gashumba, was held on Friday afternoon at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna. Rwanda’s Ambassador Christine Nkulikiyinka and Gabriel Gabiro, Communications and Bilateral Officer, were also present.
Good results can be seen from the major investments made in the health sector in Rwanda in recent years. Close to 17 percent of the country’s GDP is spent on health care and 91 percent of all deliveries take place in health care facilities. Maternal and infant mortality has fallen, and is only half as high as in Tanzania. However, there is a great shortage of specialist doctors and expertise in emergency care needs to be raised in several areas.
– We had a very positive meeting where we talked about the needs and the opportunities for collaboration, says Dr. Lars Irestedt, member of the Life Support Foundation board. As a first step, we suggested that representatives from Rwanda are sent to participate in the Annual Conference for the Society of Anaesthesiologists of Tanzania (SATA) in May, and also to visit our courses in emergency care in Dar es Salaam.
