Hospital officials highlighted these figures on July 14, 2025, during an explanation of discrepancies noted in the report by the Auditor General of State Finances for the year ending in June 2024. The report raised issues such as the purchase of various items at inflated prices, sometimes doubling the expected cost.
Brother Charles Nkubiri, the Director-General of CARAES Ndera, told members of the The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the hospital's primary procurement, such as for medication, was based on projections.
However, the fluctuating number of patients made it difficult to predict the exact needs, as the number of patients could either increase or decrease unexpectedly.
"When patient numbers rise, you need more beds, more medication, and in some cases, even more staff." The number of hospital staff increased by 18% in 2024 due to the rise in patients.
Brother Nkubiri also shared that the hospital received 94,000 patients in 2023, while in 2024, the number surpassed 101,000.
"As you can see, patient numbers are steadily increasing. Essentially, CARAES Ndera needs to expand and develop further. We were once at the level of a district hospital, but now we are a teaching hospital that also provides medical care, and this requires growth to meet the demand and align with available resources," he explained.
Currently, CARAES Ndera is operating at 116% capacity, with patients often facing delays in payments for services rendered.
Brother Nkubiri shared the difficulties, stating, "A person brings a patient, calling it an act of kindness, and you thank them for bringing the patient. But then, you ask, 'Who will pay for the services provided?' They often reply, 'The district will cover it,' but the payment ends up delayed."
He emphasized the need for detailed planning and modernization of the hospital's infrastructure to bring it up to the desired level. "A thorough study is needed to build modern facilities. Just like Kigali University Teaching Hospital [CHUK] is relocating to a larger space in Masaka, Ndera should not be left behind. Built in 1968, it needs to expand in line with the growth of Kigali," he added.
Nkubiri also noted that nearly 45% of the hospital's patients come from Kigali. "As Kigali grows, so does the number of patients treated at the hospital, and nearly half of them are from this city. Just look at how much Kigali has expanded since 1968," he stated.
He also pointed out that the hospital has seen a significant increase in mental health patients following the COVID-19 pandemic, although the rise did not reach the global average of 30%.
"Globally, COVID-19 increased mental health issues by 30%, and we saw a similar but slightly lower rise. Cases of severe depression, anxiety, and PTSD increased significantly," he explained.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/caraes-ndera-hospital-records-over-100-000-patients-in-2024
