Rwanda: 95% of COVID-19 patients being treated at home

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – A majority of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Rwanda are being treated under home-based care, the Health Ministry said Monday as the country battles the latest surge in cases.

According to ministry guidelines, COVID-19 patients treated at home are advised to isolate themselves and avoid any contact with the people they live with.

“Out of more than 4,000 active COVID-19 cases in the country, 95% are receiving treatment at their homes. Only a few are admitted in different hospitals and other treatment centers,” said Health Minister Daniel Ngamije.

Those under home-based care are monitored daily with the help of community health workers to ensure they receive treatment and care and that they do not violate quarantine measures, he said.

The patients are also given a toll-free line to call in case of an emergency.

Japhet Gakuba, a resident of the capital Kigali who recovered from coronavirus at home, said receiving care without necessarily being away from home reduces stress which comes with the coronavirus positive status.

Meanwhile, Ngamije said Rwanda has the capacity to admit 500 patients under intensive care.

Besides the coronavirus treatment centers, hospitals across the country keep at least 10 intensive care unit beds ready to handle COVID-19 emergencies, he explained.

The government last Saturday launched mass tests for the elderly and high-risk groups in Kigali, where 220 people were diagnosed with coronavirus out of 4,500 tested on the first day.

The mass tests, which ran through Monday, targeted more than 20,000 people across Kigali.

Julien Niyingabira, a ministry representative, told Anadolu Agency that free rapid tests help health authorities determine the prevalence of the virus in the city.

The Rwandan Cabinet last week imposed another 15-day lockdown on the capital due to a surge in cases.

As of Sunday, the east African country’s confirmed cases reached 12,975, with 4,381 active cases and 174 deaths.

The government recently inaugurated a new COVID-19 treatment center in Kigali which has significantly improved case management, offering the highest standard of oxygen therapy.

Many coronavirus patients in Kigali and surrounding areas are admitted to the new facility, with a capacity to admit about 140 patients in ICUs.