Availability of Equipment, Testing, and Capacity
Due to the transmissibility and infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen,
there is a crucial need for high screening and testing capacity.
COVID-19 case management can require significant health resources in
patients with severe or critical illness, which can be challenging in
Rwanda where there is limited ICU capacity.10 To
preemptively address the issue of capacity, the government of Rwanda has
allocated funds to the development of COVID-19 health units, purchased
equipment for testing, and installed thermal imaging cameras to screen
all arrivals at air and land borders.9,11 Personal
protective equipment (PPE) and testing kits have been purchased or
donated by different stakeholders. Tests obtained at hospitals are
analyzed by the National Reference Lab. In addition to these
preventative and containment measures, confirmed cases are admitted and
their contacts are followed for isolation or tested if they had any
symptoms during the last 14 days.
Demonstrating the flexibility of the Rwandan health system, critical
infrastructure utilized in combating COVID-19 was based on existing
built structures. In February 2020, the Kanyinya health center initially
constructed in 2013 was transformed into a COVID-19 treatment center
with 75 floor beds and 8 ICU beds that can manage patients in isolated
units. Following this model, a second COVID-19 treatment center with 126
floor beds and 8 ICU beds was opened two weeks later by repurposing a
hotel. Additionally, each of the country’s 80 public hospitals were
requested to set aside two beds for PUI isolation and COVID-19
treatment. In early May, to further protect health care staff and
minimize transmission risks, treatment centers began using robots for
patient monitoring and care documentation.12 Treatment
teams have been assembled to ensure holistic medical and psychological
welfare of patients. Each unit includes a medical director, doctors,
nurses, clinical psychologist, biomedical staff, nutritionists,
infection prevention control (IPC), administrators, logistic managers,
and data managers.