How Rugengamanzi survived neuromuscular disorder post-Cow hit accident

By Elias Hakizimana.

Modeste Rugengamanzi, a citizen from Bwama cell, Kamegeri sector, Nyamagabe District, Southern Province has suffered from neuromuscular disorder after his cow knocked him down.

Few days after the incident, the 64-year-old Rugengamanzi had serious health issues in the brain plus vision impairment (he could always cover his eyes with hands) as he had too much pain in the eyes.

To fix his health issue, Neurosurgery experts at Kigali Teaching University Hospital (CHUK) performed a minimally invasive-neurosurgery therapy, and, in only two days, he went back home safe.

Neurosurgery is surgery of the nervous system, which is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of patients with injury, diseases/disorders of the brain, spinal cord and spinal column, and peripheral nerves within all parts of the body.

“A cow knocked me down and I was very close to death, I could not open my eyes, but now after getting medical treatment, I am strong enough and I am going home,” Rugengamanzi said.

Trouble sleeping

“My night was full of troubles, in the bed, I could only look up, and I could not move my legs, fortunately, everything became good when I reached here at the hospital,” Rugengamanzi said.  

He said that neurosurgeons removed brain tumors from his head, and gave him efficient treatment that helped him to get a quick recovery.

Shortage of neurosurgery experts

This kind of treatment in not effective in Rwanda, as the number of neurosurgeon-experts in still low comparing to the number of patients.

Dr. Muneza Severien, a neurosurgeon at CHUK, says that it is an opportunity to have Experts in Neurosurgery as they support their team to treat many patients.

 “As medicine becomes more efficient and more patients, it is increasing. And then another very important thing, the number is huge. Having other people come to help us, especially experts like these who come from developed countries helps us a lot in terms of knowledge because they have a higher level of knowledge.”

 “The more the treatment is improved, the more the number of patients increases. Having these experts from developed countries is an asset as they help us with extra knowledge to perform neurosurgery therapy. It also helps to reduce the number of patients on the waiting list.” He said.

CHUK performs neurosurgery to more than 700 patients every year, according to Dr Muneza, while between 300 and 400 patients are always on the waiting list to get treatment.

A week ago, Rwanda has received experts in neurosurgery from 17 European countries and one American country were hosted by CHUK, to help neurosurgeon team treat some of neurological disabilities, with the emphasis to minimally invasive neurosurgery.

The week-long mission was achieved in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Rwanda Legacy of Hope Organization.

Since 2017, at least 100 patients have been treated though this mission.

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