The Rwandan health sector is slated to gain from skilled Rwandan Diaspora. This follows a meeting held in Johannesburg South Africa intended to bring together all Rwandan Diaspora in the Health sector in order to look at possibility of providing their expertise to the Rwandan health sector.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in close collaboration with the High Commission of Rwanda in South Africa and the Rwandan Diaspora Global Network (RDGN), on 3rd March 2012, held a meeting with Rwandan Health Professionals on Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) at Monte casino Conference Centre in Johannesburg, RSA.
During the meeting, different presentations were made. Amongst the key speakers were Mr. Jo Rispoli, Regional thematic specialist from IOM Pretoria, who presented on IOM-MIDA program and approach.
In his presentation, he talked about the effect of brain-drain in Africa and the need of the Diaspora to use their expertise for the development of African countries. His presentation was illustrated by case study of the Diaspora from Ghana.
Joan Matabaro, an official from Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presented on the objectives of Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) Health Rwanda project while Aimable Rwamucyo from RDGN presented on logistical arrangements for Health professionals intending to give out the knowledge.
Both emphasized on the will of the Government of Rwanda to benefit from the knowledge of the Rwandan diaspora and the established mechanism to facilitate that.
In his presentation, Dr Musabeyezu Emmanuel from Rwanda Biomedical Center listed priority needs of the health sector in Rwanda. He highlighted the lack of sufficient specialized medical doctors and the needed support from Rwandan diaspora.
On behalf of Rwandan medical doctors in Southern Africa, Dr Denis Karangwa re-affirmed the will of Rwandan health professionals to avail their expertise to Rwanda and called upon different stakeholders to look at logistical and administrative impediment to the project in order to speed the realization of the project.
In addition to the transfer of knowledge to Rwanda, he also called upon officials from Rwanda’s Ministry of Health to look at possibility to use modern technology such as tele-health (e-health) to give out their expertise from Southern Africa without travelling to Rwanda.
At the end of the workshop, the High Commission of Rwanda, OIM and RDGN agreed to set up a program during the course of the year 2012 that will see Rwandan health professionals in Rwanda to give out their expertise.
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