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25
2020
Rwanda Starts A New Option To Treat COVID-19 Patients From Home
Rwanda has started treating some COVID-19 patients from home, an achievement that will allow medical practitioners and the COVID-19 task force as a whole to be relieved from the heavy burden as new cases surge.
The total number of cases increased to 3,089 as of August 23 including 200 new COVID-19 cases on the same day.
This increased the total active cases to 1,322 patients, but, all of them are not in COVID-19 treatment centers that were established across the country in accordance to demand.
Rwanda Biomedical Centre’s Managing Director Dr Sabin Nsanzimana told Kigalitoday.com, our sister website that the patients that are not in critical condition and who have space where they can quarantine themselves without causing any risk of contamination, are followed up from home.
“Currently, 85% COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic and are not in critical condition. Thus, we have decided to start a program to follow several patients from home provided that they have enough space and cannot put anyone at risk of contamination,” Sabin said.
The number of patients in this new option, however, is still small with less than 100 patients under treatment from home.
“To track patients in this condition, we put a bracelet on their hand so that they do not go out and infect other people at the market or other places. We are registering a success story; in Rusisi for example, 20 patients in this category were discharged. In Kigali, we registered recoveries, too,” Nsanzimana said.
The RBC boss said that in case there is any sign of concern, the patient or guardian calls the medics who come and take him for special treatment.
All in all, Nsanzimana believes that the program is a relief to medics.
“This will give the medical practitioners a room to concentrate on critical cases; taking several tests, assuring accessibility of oxygen…in most cases we deal with other diseases that they suffer from to increase their body immunity against COVID-19. Understandably, this category includes a few cases, just 15%. We have the capacity to take care of them, but of course, we should keep working on that option to treat a bigger number of patients from home,” Nsanzimana said.
Nsanzimana reminds the general public to be vigilant, keeping in mind that COVID-19 is an invisible enemy, thus the need to respect all COVID-19 measures.
Currently, he said, 10 patients are on oxygen.