Rwanda’s Health Ministry on Tuesday announced it had acquired three robots to reinforce its efforts against Covid-19, reported Anadolu Agency. The new high-tech robots will be used to clean and disinfect COVID-19 treatment centers, hospitals and places of mass gathering such as markets and offices to limit the spread of the virus.
According to the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Innovation, the robots are equipped with lamps that emit ultraviolet lights destroying deadly microorganisms that might not get cleaned during the manual cleaning process, helping to reduce infection rates for patients and health workers.
The disinfectant robots can speedily clean and disinfect operating, labor and delivery, ICU and isolation discharge rooms, and other indoor spaces. Each of the robots can disinfect up to 15 rooms over an eight-hour shift.
“These robots offer a faster, more effective, and less labor-intensive disinfection alternative to manual cleaning,” said Paula Ingabire, the Minister of ICT and Innovation. “The government has placed ICT at the center of its transformation and the health sector is a priority sector where technology is being used to provide better health outcomes through improved service delivery, patient experience, health, and safety.”
Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, the director-general of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said the introduction of robots in Covid-19 case management has contributed to limiting human interaction between healthcare providers and patients.
The robots have been donated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Japan.
Rwanda has recorded 16,811 Covid-19 cases including 226 deaths as of Tuesday.
In related news, the Rwandan government eased its second coronavirus lockdown in the capital on Monday. It allowed the resumption of businesses in Kigali with essential staff, not more than 30% capacity. The lockdown was imposed on Jan. 18, after a rapid increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases.
