Ministry of health redeploys 63 intern doctors

Some of the doctors who have been redeployed. (photo Farouk Kaweesi)

The ministry of health (Minisante) has redeployed 63 intern doctors to different district hospitals countrywide for a one-year internship; the move is aimed at improving the quality of their practical skills. The redeployed doctors have already wrapped up their university studies in medical sciences, and will be awarded their degrees upon completing their internship.

“We are deploying them in different district hospitals, where they will work as doctors but under supervision,” said Dr Agnes Binagwaho, the line minister. She added that Minisante started the internship program four years ago to align Rwanda’s health system to the East African Community.

The interns will work in district hospitals where already qualified doctors are already practicing.

Dr Binagwahofurther stressed that the skills they (interns) have got from the university cannot be doubted.

“They are medical doctors and the internship is to make them familiar with the working environment. During this internship they learn how to react to patients’ signs and the decision-making process related to that,” she said.

Binagwahoalso warned hospital directors against ‘giving degrees to people who do not deserve them’. She was reacting to queries by the director of RutsiroDistrict Hospital who said he had not seen the two interns who were allocated to his hospital last year.

“That is non-compliance to education,” she said. “The director of that hospital didnot complain to the ministry. He has complied in giving degrees to people who don’t deserve them; he has conspired to the

But Dr SylvestreNtiruvamunda, the director of Rutsiro District Hospital told The Rwanda Focusthat he filed the case to the ministry, and he was given no answer.

“We suggest that the ministry follow the interns day to day, especially those allocated to our countryside hospitals,” he said.

Dr Jean De DieuNgirabega, the director of clinical services at Minisante, said that only interns who have obtained high grades are allowed to freely choose the hospitals to be allocated to while others are distributed by the ministry. He confessed to not have known any case of interns who have not shown up to their respective hospitals. “If we get to know any case, then we will take severe measures. That’s cheating.”

According to statistics, the ratio of doctors to citizens is 1:16,000.

“We are trying to fill in the gaps, and we target to achieve at least 1 doctor to 10,000 people in few years,” said Dr Ngirabega who added that the country now has about 100 specialized doctors in the different medical fields.

“We target to have at least 500 specialists in seven years. We have begun this year with 86 doctors who are already deployed in teaching hospitals, under a university program sponsored by the United States.”

The seven-year program, which involves 100 US lecturers will help the specialists complete their studies not only with degrees but also lecturing skills.

“We want Rwandans to access quality health care,” Dr Ngirabega said.

Posted by Jean-Christophe Nsanzimana on Sep 20 2012. Filed under Daily News, Health, Other News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.