The Hospital

The Need Is Great…

In Rwanda there are over 1,200,000 children have lost one or both parents as result of conflict, poverty or HIV/AIDS.  Over 100,000 of these children serve as the head of their household.  Rwanda has one of the worst child mortality rates in all of Africa – one in five children die before their fifth birthday, often from illnesses that are preventable with simple vaccinations, better nutrition or diseases treatable with proper antibiotics.

The health care system in Rwanda was one of the many victims of the genocide.  According to the World Health Organization, there are only about 400 doctors in the entire country who serve a population of over eight million people. Hospitals are often over-crowded with overworked staff and outdated equipment.  Currently, there is no facility dedicated to serving children in the entire country.

The Good Shepherd Hospital for Children will offer the children of Rwanda a different kind of health care experience.

The children of Rwanda deserve a safe, clean and hopeful environment where they have access to quality medical care.  The vision of the hospital is not only to meet the physical needs of it’s patients, but also the emotional and spiritual needs- to bring wholistic restoration to patients and their families.

When completed, the hospital will be a two-building structure providing services and programs such as:

  • Basic emergency care
  • Routine pediatric care, immunizations, maternal-child health, and urgent care.
  • Laboratory and pharmacy services.
  • Limited inpatient services and transportation/referral of those needing more extensive care
  • Training for local doctors, nurses and health care providers
  • Community outreach and education programs focused on topics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, first aid, maternal care and nutrition
  • Opportunities for visiting doctors and nurses to serve and teach.

The hospital complex will consist of two buildings and is being build in a two-phased process.   The construction of Phase I is approximately 60% complete.  Construction efforts have been focused on site clearing, laying the foundation and construction of the rear building.  Once the building for Phase I is operational, we will hire a small staff and open a clinic offering basic pediatric care and vaccination programs.

The total cost of the hospital facility and two years of operational support is 1.8 million dollars.  When you consider the 300,000 children who live in the immediate service area of the facility, that’s only $6.00 per year to give a child the chance to have a healthy future.