France to fund 75% of rwf171 Billion Ruhengeri Hospital upgrade
Rwanda has allocated Rwf17.79 billion to upgrade Ruhengeri Referral Hospital, expanding capacity to 550 beds and adding modern medical equipment.
The rehabilitation and expansion of Ruhengeri Referral Hospital has officially moved forward, with Rwf17.79 billion allocated to the project in Rwanda’s 2026/27 fiscal year.
The major infrastructure project is expected to transform the hospital, which was originally constructed in 1939 and has increasingly struggled to meet the healthcare needs of a rapidly growing population.
The entire rehabilitation and expansion programme is estimated to cost €100 million, equivalent to about Rwf171 billion. The French Development Agency (AFD) is expected to finance 75 per cent of the project.
Once completed, the hospital will have 550 beds, up from the current 320, significantly increasing its capacity to accommodate patients and provide specialised healthcare services.
Read also:Inside the Ongoing Upgrade of Ruhengeri Referral Hospital
The upgraded facility will include 36 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, eight operating rooms and a modern radiology platform. It will also be equipped with advanced diagnostic technologies, including an MRI machine and a 64-slice CT scanner.
A major component of the project will be the construction of a 220-bed maternity unit, which will include 40 incubators. The expansion is expected to strengthen the hospital’s ability to manage more than 6,000 births annually while improving care for mothers and newborns.
The hospital’s proposed design following the planned upgrades. Courtesy.
Designs shared by the Rwanda Housing Authority show a substantially modernised hospital complex, with expanded clinical and support facilities.
The project is intended to improve healthcare delivery and respond to the needs of a growing population in Northern Rwanda. The population served by the hospital is projected to reach approximately three million people by 2040.
However, the rehabilitation works will require some hospital services to be temporarily relocated to nearby government buildings.
The hospital will have 550 patient beds, up from the current 320.
The buildings are currently undergoing renovation and repurposing to accommodate the affected services during the construction period.
The investment is expected to strengthen Ruhengeri Referral Hospital’s role as a key referral facility in Northern Rwanda, while expanding access to advanced diagnosis, surgery, intensive care and maternal healthcare.
The Rwf17.79 billion allocation for the current financial year marks an important phase in the government’s plan to modernise the hospital and bring its infrastructure and services in line with the country’s evolving healthcare needs.
