PHOTOS: Leadership retreat turns focus on health sector, call for quality healthcare

This Tuesday, President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame joined the second day of the 17th National Leadership Retreat at the RDF Combat Training Centre-Gabiro. 

Today’s discussions focused on Rwanda’s healthcare system and how to move towards improved specialized care.

Participants analyzed the Health Sector; mapping our projections from now until the conclusion of the Vision 2050 in 30 years to come.

Discussions on Day 2 of the Retreat centered around the theme "Filling the gaps in our healthcare system: Paving the way to specialized care".

Health Experts discussed matters ranging from conditions endured by those working in the Health Sector, the training of Doctors and Specialists as a necessity for better productivity. 

They also spoke on the issue of properly equipping Hospitals and Health Centers as well as securing an adequate Budget for the Sector.

The Experts also stressed that by the year 2050, Technology will play an almost vital role in the Provision of proper Healthcare, and so it is necessary to start promoting its use on a far bigger scale as early as possible.

Basing on projected population growth figures, Panelists expressed opinions that Non-Communicable Diseases will dominate Health issues in the future and so the necessary measures should be adopted now in preparation.

The problem of Doctors working in numerous Hospitals in multiple shifts and Hospital Pharmacies that do not remain open through the night as they should, was also cited as needing urgent addressing.

The Panelists featured included Dr Paul Farmer - the Founder of Partners in Health and Dr Clet Niyikiza who heads L.E.AF Pharmaceuticals and is also part of Presidential Advisory Council here in Rwanda.     

The retreat brings together more than 400 leaders from central and local government, parastatals, private sector, youth representatives from different sectors, and invited guests/speakers. 

The pictorial below shows how a typical day in Gabiro looks like...