A team of 16 American surgeons is providing free operation to Rwandans suffering from various diseases considered locally difficult to treat including the goiter illness.
Such free operation, which is provided twice a year, is being conducted at Gitwe Hospital located in Southern Province at a cost of US$ 25 million for the 36 patients.
The 16 American surgeons came from different U.S. states including California, Texas, New York and others.
They come in the context of cooperation with the Pedagogical Institute and Gitwe Hospital.
Dr. Emile Tuyishime, director of Gitwe Hospital found that people who have goiter have unprecedented chance to see it disappear without spending a penny.
“In other circumstances, a patient who had goiter surgery must pay one million and seven hundred thousand Rwandan francs ($2700),” he told IGIHE.
For Dr. John H. Streit who leads the team of the specialists, their stay in Rwanda is made possible by the good relations between Rwanda and the USA.
He added that the team is in the process of designing a project to launch a medical school in Rwanda to help increase the number and quality of physicians in the country.
The American doctors have maintained cooperation with Gitwe hospital since 2005.
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