Rwanda Moves to Address Challenges Facing Primary Health Centers

By The Inspirer. 

KIGALI, Oct. 15— The Ministry of Health has announced a series of interventions to resolve persistent challenges affecting primary health centers across Rwanda, including facility closures, drug shortages, delayed payments, staffing gaps, and unreliable water and electricity supply.

The State Minister in charge of Primary Healthcare, Dr. Ivan Butera, outlined the measures while addressing senators on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. He said the ministry has already begun implementing both immediate and long-term solutions to improve service delivery and ensure citizens’ access to quality healthcare.

On the issue of non-operational health centers, Dr. Butera explained that some facilities were closed because they were built in unsuitable locations or failed to meet operational requirements.

He said, “Some health centers are not functioning because they were established in areas where they were not needed. In some places, the centers were misplaced or poorly planned. We are now revising this by ensuring new health centers are located where populations truly need the services.”

Dr. Butera added that future planning will consider three key factors: population density, accessibility, and readiness for service delivery. “We want to ensure every new health post becomes operational immediately upon completion,” he noted.

Addressing the shortage of essential medicines, the minister said the Rwanda Medical Supply Ltd (RMS) is improving the procurement and distribution chain to ensure timely delivery to primary health facilities. He also noted that the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) has upgraded its digital systems to streamline reimbursement and reduce payment delays.

“We are now at a stage where the system is becoming more efficient,” he said. “RSSB has improved its digital platforms to ensure better coordination with our systems. Payment delays are decreasing, and once all facilities are equipped with the required tools, service delivery will further improve.”

He also mentioned that RMS has set specific distribution days for supplying essential medicines to primary health centers, ensuring that drugs reach facilities on time and shortages are minimized.

Regarding the shortage of medical staff, Dr. Butera said the government has launched a plan to quadruple the number of healthcare professionals within four years, starting in 2023.

“Before the program started, around 1,604 new health workers joined the sector annually. That number increased to 4,000 in the first year and reached 5,937 in 2024,” he explained. “We are now at nearly 3.7 times the previous rate, which shows the strategy is working.”

He added that the number of medical specialists has also risen significantly. For instance, surgical trainees have grown from four to 35, while pediatric trainees have increased from seven to 34.

Dr. Butera emphasized that these ongoing reforms will continue to strengthen Rwanda’s primary healthcare system, ensuring citizens receive accessible, reliable, and equitable medical services across the country.