Responding to the high demand in plastic surgery services, Rwanda has started a process to train more surgeons who will join the existing small team.
There is in the country, two plastic surgeons who have 400 patients waiting to get served. They are based at Rwanda Military hospital located at Kanombe.
On Thursday, the Rwanda Military hospital launched partnership with Operation Smile, a United States based nonprofit medical service to train three more surgeons.
According to Col. Dr. Charles Furaha, specialist plastic surgeon, three Rwandan doctors will be trained for the period of three years at College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA).
The training will cost a total Rwf 500 million.
“These doctors will be trained to join existing two plastic surgeons. This will make a total of five doctors in the country and will help in reducing number of patients who need plastic surgery, “said Dr.Furaha.
The doctor said that all patients who need this service in the country will get treatment at Rwanda military hospital and priority will be given to cancer patients who have been waiting for the service.
Dr Furaha said that some of the patients have been waiting for the last three years.
To be trained are already serving surgeons and after training, they will in turn serve the college of medicine at university of Rwanda.
After this intake, two more surgeons will follow every year.
On top of plastic surgery, the surgeons to be trained will also give Cosmetic surgery services.