Ministry of Health Donates 114 Ambulances Worth Over 8 Billion Rwandan Francs

By The Inspirer.

The Ministry of Health has donated 114 ambulances aimed at providing swift transportation for sick patients to hospitals. These vehicles were purchased at a cost of over 8 billion Rwandan Francs.

There are two types of ambulances among the donated vehicles. A total of 105 are standard ambulances designed for transporting patients who are not critically ill to hospitals; these were purchased for over 7 billion Rwandan Francs.

Additionally, there are 9 specialized ambulances that are equipped with advanced technology for emergency response and come with medical equipment. These cost over 1 billion Rwandan Francs.

The handover ceremony took place on Friday, August 9, 2024, and was led by the Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana.

He mentioned that providing these ambulances is part of Rwanda’s plan to have 510 ambulances, aiming for 20,000 residents to be served by at least one ambulance.

“This has been a process we have been working on as requested by the Head of State. Two months ago, 82 ambulances were distributed. These 114 ambulances are now being added, with the goal of ensuring that in a very short time, 20,000 residents will have access to an ambulance,” he said.

Currently, Rwanda has one ambulance serving every 30,000 residents, while the United Nations typically recommends that one ambulance should serve between 40,000 to 50,000 people.

Dr. Nsanzimana stated, “Exceeding this standard does not mean it’s our ultimate goal for Rwandans; that’s why our journey is still ongoing.”

He added that there are still 44 ambulances left to be acquired, and once they are obtained, Rwanda will have reached its target for the desired number of ambulances.

These ambulances are equipped with advanced technology that enables communication between the drivers and hospital personnel.

Minister of Health Dr. Nsanzimana explained that usually, there is one ambulance dedicated to critical cases, and among those donated, 9 fall into this category. He mentioned that increasing these medical vehicles will enhance emergency response capabilities by ninefold compared to previous efforts.

MINISANTE also announced that following the distribution of these ambulances, all ambulances in the country will now be integrated into a single system known as Emergency Medical Services (EMS), which was not previously available but is standard at the international level.

Dr. Nsanzimana stated, “Ambulances you would see at hospitals and elsewhere will all be integrated into one system, so anyone in need can be rescued regardless of who they are. Through this technology, we can provide emergency assistance, which is a new advancement.”

According to data from MINISANTE, Rwanda previously had 300 ambulances, some of which were aging. The new additions bring the total to nearly 200, with the goal being to reach 510 ambulances.