29th/05/2025

By Dr. David Hakizimana, Neurosurgeon, King Faisal Hospital

We are pleased to announce that King Faisal Hospital Rwanda has acquired the ZEISS KINEVO 900S, the most advanced robotic surgical microscope available today. This device represents a major technological  and clinical breakthrough not only for our hospital but for the entire region. Importantly, this is the only fully equipped KINEVO 900S microscope currently available in the entire East African region, positioning Rwanda at the forefront of high-precision, robot-assisted surgery in
Africa. Below are key benefits of this new microscope.
1. Better Patient Care with Robotic Precision and Fluorescence Technology
Higher Accuracy: The microscope uses robotic movements to automatically follow the surgeon’s instruments, and track microsurgical sites during procedures. This allows more precise operations, especially in delicate areas of the brain and spine, minimizing damage to surrounding tissues. Better Outcomes: The robotic system adjusts and centers the image in real-time without needing the surgeon to manually move the equipment—helping reduce surgery time and complications.
Improved Safety: Robotic stabilization reduces surgeon fatigue and ensures steadier hands during long, complex procedures. Fluorescence Imaging: Advanced built-in fluorescence (BLUE 400S, INFRARED 800, YELLOW 560) helps neurosurgeons clearly distinguish between tumors, blood vessels, and healthy tissue even when they look similar to the naked eye. This means more complete tumor removal and better protection of critical brain functions.  Enhanced Visualization with Integrated endoscopic (QEVO) Tool: The KINEVO 900S includes the QEVO micro-inspection tool – a tiny, flexible endoscope built into the system. QEVO allows surgeons to “look around corners” inside the brain or spine, visualizing areas that traditional microscopes cannot reach. This ensures that no hidden tumor or vessel is missed, increasing surgical completeness and safety.
2. Better Training for Rwandan Surgeons
Live Teaching: A large 3D screen shows exactly what the surgeon sees, allowing students and junior doctors to learn during real surgeries.

Remote Education: The microscope can stream surgeries live to all digital platforms, so training can reach doctors in other hospitals across the country or even abroad.
Recorded Surgeries: With the ability to save 4K video recordings, the microscope supports local research
and international academic exchange.
3. Greater Surgical Efficiency
Time-Saving Features: The robotic system responds to voice commands and foot controls, so the surgeon doesn’t have to pause to reposition the microscope. This shortens surgery time and improves workflow.
Quick Setup: Preset modes and automated functions make it faster to prepare the operating room and begin surgery.
4. A Major Asset for Rwanda’s Health System
Regional Leadership in Surgery: With this robotic microscope, King Faisal Hospital becomes one of the best-equipped surgical centers in the region.  Support for Other Hospitals: Through livestream and tele-surgery options, our experts can guide and assist teams in district or teaching hospitals in real time. Boost to Medical Tourism: Offering robotic-assisted surgery attracts both patients and medical professionals from neighboring countries, enhancing Rwanda’s reputation as a healthcare leader. In summary, this robotic microscope is more than an advanced tool—it’s a leap forward for safer surgeries, better teaching, and stronger national capacity in specialized healthcare.

27th/03/2025

King Faisal Hospital, in partnership with Africa Health Science University, recently honored outstanding medical researchers during a competition that brought together 32 participants, including doctors, university lecturers, and students. The event, held on March 26, 2025, in Kigali, marked the second edition of the competition.

Participants competed in two categories: Best Poster Presentation and Best Oral Presentation, with a special category reserved for those working at King Faisal Hospital. The first-place winners in each category received a prize of 600,000 Rwandan Francs (RWF).

Dr. Nkundimana Gerard, a kidney disease specialist, was recognized for his exceptional poster presentation. His study, which addresses ongoing healthcare challenges, focused on the dialysis filters used to purify the blood of kidney patients, which can sometimes become contaminated with microbes leading to infections.

“Research helps doctors improve their practice by keeping up with the ever-evolving medical field,” Dr. Nkundimana explained. “By identifying problems early on, we can prevent complications for our patients.”

Dr. Sendegeya August, Chief Medical Officer at King Faisal Hospital, emphasized the importance of research in enhancing healthcare.

“Research enables us to contribute our knowledge and expertise to improve patient care. It is grounded in real issues faced by patients and the country,” he said.

“When we conduct research and clearly identify problems, we can work together to find solutions. This collaborative effort is more effective than working in isolation and allows us to share valuable insights.”

The research presented during the competition covered a range of medical topics, including kidney disease, childhood illnesses, heart conditions, and more, all aimed at finding solutions to pressing healthcare challenges.

19th/03/2025

King Faisal Hospital officially launches psychiatric treatment using the drug Ketamine, which is administered to patients with severe depression, high-level trauma, and others who have failed to respond to conventional treatments.

Since its inception in May 2024, the clinic has provided care to 23 patients, offering them new hope through this evidence-based treatment. Ketamine therapy is unique because it works differently from traditional antidepressants. While most medications take weeks to show results, ketamine can relieve symptoms within hours or days. It does this by stimulating new connections between brain cells, essentially “rewiring” areas of the brain that have been affected by long-term stress, trauma, or depression. Ketamine also helps regulate glutamate, a key chemical that influences mood, emotions, and thought patterns, allowing patients to break free from the cycle of persistent distress.

Ketamine is commonly used to induce anesthesia and sedation, but medical experts have shown that it can be used in the treatment of mental illnesses, showing changes in the patient after a few hours, while it usually takes much longer.

Through a partnership between King Faisal Hospital and the Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute in San Diego, California, United States, psychiatrists and nurses have trained Faisal Hospital staff in the use of this treatment and will continue to provide supervision and treatment.

The state minister in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Yvan Butera, said that this treatment will complement the existing one but has the speciality of treating those who have not had other medicines that could help them recover.

He said, “Due to the history we have gone through, there are a number of Rwandans who still suffer from extreme sadness and depression, or even normal life, but the medicines that were already available did not help them. This is a new treatment in Rwanda and in the world in general. We took it at the beginning to help Rwandans who need this treatment to get it and we hope that it will yield tangible results.”

Dr. Yvan Butera urged those facing mental health issues to come forward and talk about their problems and to access these services to treat these illnesses because hiding them makes them worse and can even lead to illness or death.

The Chief Medical Officer at King Faisal Hospital, Dr. Sendegeya Augustin, said that some patients were given conventional medications to treat mental illnesses but they did not feel better, and then they were thinking about finding new ways to help them.

He said, “It is a treatment for mental illnesses, you know that people have very different problems such as severe depression, and you find that someone has thoughts of suicide, we give them medications but they do not heal.”

He continued, “We came to know that there is a drug that is used to induce paralysis and put patients to sleep, but when used in small doses it can help those patients with serious problems that have not been cured by conventional medications, we came to find that the Ketamine drug helps, so that is when we decided to start using it.”

So far, since this program began in May 2024, it has helped 23 patients, and the evaluation conducted by these hospitals has shown that they are gradually showing hope for a good recovery.

Statistics from the  RBC, for 2022/2023, showed that throughout the country at that time, about 3305 people were diagnosed with mental health problems every month.

18/01/2025

Ubwo hatangizwaga ibikorwa byo kwagura Ibitaro Byitiriwe Umwami Faisal kuri uyu wa 22 Nyakanga 2024, Minisitiri w’Ubuzima Dr Sabin Nsanzimana yatangaje ko ibi bitaro bifasha muri gahunda yo kongera umubare w’abaganga. Yahamije ko kuva gahunda yo kwigisha inzobere mu kuvura indwara z’abagore itangijwe muri uyu mwaka, hari 48 bahise bayitabira kandi batanga umusaruro.

Ati “Imwe muri gahunda zatangijwe uyu mwaka harimo ‘gynecology obstetrics’ yahise ijyamo inzobere nshya 48 twahuguye, mu gihe buri mwaka hasozaga amasomo abagera ku munani mu Rwanda. Twari turi kuganira n’abayobozi b’ibitaro byigisha ku buryo bagenda biyongera, ko ibyo kohereza abarwayi bava mu ntara bajya i Kigali byamaze kugabanyuka mu mezi atatu ya mbere kandi twizeye kuzagira izo serivisi mu ntara zitandukanye aho kugira ngo bajye baza i Kigali.”

Dr Nsanzimana yahamije ko Ibitaro Byitiriwe Umwami Faisal bifasha ibindi bitaro 10 by’Intara muri gahunda yo kwigisha abaganga bafite ubumenyi n’ubushobozi.

Yavuze ko ibi bitaro nibyuzura bizahagarika ingendo abarwayi bakoraga bajya kwivuriza mu bihugu by’amahanga.

Ati “Kwagura ibi bitaro ntibizahagarika ibyo kujya abantu bakora ingendo imbere mu gihugu gusa, ahuwo bizanahagarika abarwayi twoherezaga hanze y’igihugu. Hari ugusimbuza impyiko byatangiye hano, twabonye ko abo twoherezaga bose gusimburizwa impyiko byahagaze, hamwe n’abantu barenga 300 babazwe umutima kuva mu mwaka ushize muri ibi bitaro, twizeye ko tutazongera kubona umuntu woherezwa kubagwa umutima hanze y’u Rwanda.”

Biteganyijwe ko serivisi ibi bitaro bizajya bitanga serivisi zigezweho z’ubuvuzi ku Banyafurika n’abandi batuye Isi muri rusange. Source (Igihe).