How to create a modern hospital in rural Africa
Posted on Nov 7, 2010
PIH’s sister organization in Rwanda, Inshuti Mu Buzima (IMB), is constructing a state-of-the-art, 150-bed hospital in Burera, the only remaining district in the country without a district hospital. Built in partnership with the Rwandan Ministry of Health, the Clinton Foundation, and the local community, the new facility will be an example of how to create a modern hospital in rural Africa capable of delivering world-class medical care and training Africa's next generation of medical professionals.
PIH co-founder Paul Farmer shares his thoughts on the hospital in the video below.
The hospital features innovative design to improve infection control, an expanded range of services that includes neonatal intensive care and three operating rooms, and brand new, high-quality medical equipment. It is also a stunning facility and public space, whose mountaintop setting affirms PIH's belief in "dignification."
Before PIH began working in Burera, people living in the district had to travel for many hours on foot – a nearly impossible task when carrying a family member or friend on a stretcher. The Butaro Hospital will change all of this, and save lives in doing so. “This sends a very clear message that high quality medical care can and must be delivered in good institutions that fit into a broader network of institutions,” says PIH cofounder Paul Farmer.
The vision for the hospital is to create a center of excellence and innovation by establishing a scientific community of clinical and non-clinical staff with the hope that people will come not only to seek care, but also to deliver care, teach and learn.
Butaro Hospital will open in late 2010.
