RWANDA—Believers International Hospital and Research Centre, a multi-specialty medical facility, has announced plans to construct a new facility in Busanza, which is expected to reduce the cost of treatment abroad and bolster Rwanda’s aspiration to become a medical hub.
This revelation came forth in an interview with The New Times, where Rev. Jimmy John Simon, the Acting Legal Representative, emphasized that the new facilities will not only enhance healthcare accessibility in Rwanda but also attract patients from the region and beyond, particularly from Africa.
The project, situated adjacent to Believers Eastern Church in Busanza, Kicukiro District, will be executed in three phases.
The initial phase, encompassing a 220-bed hospital and a medical college, is slated for completion within 15 months. The facility is anticipated to be operational by the end of 2025 or early 2026, with an estimated cost exceeding US$60 million, subject to adjustments.
The subsequent phases will witness the expansion of the hospital to accommodate 400 beds, followed by the establishment of a Medical University.
Construction is currently underway in Busanza, with Simon affirming that the medical college will play a pivotal role in training and equipping healthcare professionals from Rwanda and other African nations.
The hospital’s inception originates from the collaboration between the Anglican Church of Rwanda and Believers Eastern Church, an Orthodox Church of Indian origin with a global presence across 19 countries.
According to Dr. Andrew Nkurunziza, who is overseeing Public Relations and Administration at Believers East African Limited, cited Rwanda’s conducive environment marked by good governance, security, and investor confidence as pivotal factors in the decision-making process.
He went on to note that Believers Eastern Church had acquired the former Mount Zion University, facilitating the donation of equipment worth over Rwf80 million to Masaka District Hospital and the Anglican College to pave the way for modernization.
This construction is being carried out by Top Engineering Company, a Chinese firm renowned for its work on the Prime Minister’s office.
Oommen Varghese, supervising the engineering team, indicated that construction progress currently stands at approximately 38%.
The hospital’s design comprises two basements, a ground floor, and four additional floors, topped with a typical Mangalore tile roof.
“We began in the month of August 2023 and now we are almost about seven months up and we plan to complete the civil engineering part by March 2025 and after that we will have the mechanical, electrical plumbing works,” Varghese elaborated
Upon completion, the hospital, resembling Believers Church Medical College Hospital in Kerala, India, one of the best hospitals in the Asian sub-continent, will to reduce the exodus of patients seeking advanced care abroad while ensuring affordability for Rwandans.
The initiative which is more philanthropic than commercial, aims to address the scarcity of medical specialists in specific fields.
In response to the pressing need for medical personnel training, Believers Eastern Church opted to concurrently implement the first phase and the medical college.
Established in 2021, Believers Eastern Church Rwanda marks the first African branch of the Indian church focused on development.
The new facility aligns with the expansive Believers Church Medical College Hospital, boasting a Medical College with over 100 doctors and hundreds of nurses and paramedical staff graduating, alongside a 1000-bed hospital in India.
Upon completion, the hospital will provide services including cardiology, oncology, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, endocrinology, and more, addressing the demand for specialized medical care previously sought abroad.
