The first phase of construction for the Magdi Yacoub Rwanda-Egypt Heart Center was inaugurated in Kigali on Monday, with the goal of creating a regional hub for cardiac care in eastern and central Africa. Egyptian Foreign Minister Bader Abdelatty attended the event, along with Rwandan officials including Health Minister Sabine Nsanzimana and the Director General of the Rwandan Food and Drug Authority. World-renowned heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub also participated. The event included a tour of the construction site, followed by discussions between officials and Yacoub about the centre's development. The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on pharmaceutical cooperation between the Egyptian Drug Authority and its Rwandan counterpart also took place during the event. Abdelatty also expressed his satisfaction with the signing of MOUs on pharmaceuticals and transportation during his visit to Rwanda. He highlighted the announcement, during bilateral consultations with his Rwandan counterpart, of Rwanda's allocation of land for a logistics zone for Egypt in Rwanda. The zone is designed to facilitate trade and boost investments between the two countries.
The centre is a joint effort between Egypt and Rwanda, and will offer world-class medical care, said Abdelatty, who expressed his gratitude to Yacoub for his efforts to establish the centre, a vision that dates back to 2018. "The Rwanda Heart Care and Research Foundation will offer state-of-the-art, free-of-charge medical services, particularly for the under-privileged, whilst training a generation of young doctors, nurses and scientists at the highest international standards," said Yacoub when the MOU was signed. The Egyptian Agency for Partnership and Development (EAPD) from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has signed an agreement to donate equipment for the hospital, including two cardiac theatres, a catheter lab, nine intensive care beds, six progressive care beds and 15 ward beds.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister also congratulated Rwandan President Paul Kagame on his recent re-election and fielded questions from Rwandan and Egyptian journalists, emphasising the potential for cooperation between the two countries.
