The Butaro Hospital ( rw, Ibitaro bya Butaro) is a
hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...
in
Burera District, in the
Northern Province of
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
.
The hospital serves as the district hospital for Burera District and surrounding communities.
Location
Butaro District Hospital is located in the Butaro Sector, of Burera District, in Rwanda's Northern Province, approximately , by road, north of
Kigali
Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali has been Rwa ...
, the national capital of Rwanda, and its largest city.
The geographical coordinates of the hospital are 01°24'35.0"S, 29°50'24.0"E (Latitude:-1.409722; Longitude:29.840000).
Overview
Butaro Hospital maintains 150 in-patient beds. The facility features an innovative design intended to harmonize with the local environment and reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections. Hospital departments include emergency room, intensive care units, pediatric ward, surgical theaters and an IT room. The hospital is equipped with Wireless Internet throughout the hospital campus, with laptop computers present at every nursing station. Telemedicine facilities are available for consultation with
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...
and
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is the second largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two f ...
.
History
The Butaro Hospital was designed by MASS in cooperation with the
Rwandan Ministry of Health and
Partners in Health
Partners In Health (PIH) is an international nonprofit public health organization founded in 1987 by Paul Farmer, Ophelia Dahl, Thomas J. White, Todd McCormack, and Jim Yong Kim.
Partners in Health provides healthcare in the poorest areas of de ...
. The construction of the 150-bed hospital begun in December 2008 and it was opened on 24 January 2011. The hospital was originally a health center, prior to 2008. Commissioning of the completed hospital was performed by
Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame (; born 23 October 1957) is a Rwandan politician and former military officer who is the 4th and current president of Rwanda since 2000. He previously served as a commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Uganda-based rebel ...
, the President of Rwanda.
Construction was completed one year earlier than scheduled. Over 3,500 local community members were employed during construction. Wherever possible, the hospital was built using local materials, including volcanic stone from the
Virunga Mountains.
Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence
In July 2012,
Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence opened its doors to the public, offering the first cancer ward in rural East Africa. It was developed by Partners In Health, with support from
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Rwandan government. The
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, who is the Vice Chairman for Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick M ...
Children’s Foundation contributed $1.5 million to its creation.
Butaro Ambulatory Cancer Center
In 2013, an outpatient facility was added to treat cancer patients who need regular IV chemotherapy, but who do not require hospitalization. Services include pathology-based diagnosis, chemotherapy, and surgery, referral for radiotherapy, socio-economic support, and long-term follow up.
Butaro Ambulatory Cancer Center was designed by MASS Design Group, built by Partners In Health, and funded by the Cummings Foundation, Inc. of
Woburn, Massachusetts
Woburn ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,876 at the 2020 census. Woburn is located north of Boston. Woburn uses Massachusetts' mayor-council form of governme ...
. Other partners include the government of Rwanda, Rwanda Biomedical Center, and Dana-Farber/
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is the second largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts Gener ...
Cancer Center in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
.
References
External links
Butaro Ambulatory Cancer Center
{{Coord, 01, 24, 35, S, 29, 50, 24, E, display=title
Hospital buildings completed in 2011
Hospitals in Rwanda
Hospitals established in 2011
2011 establishments in Rwanda