Engineering World Health began its BMET training program in late 2009 to provide a training course for 45 biomedical equipment technicians in Rwanda. The program is funded by the GE Foundation with the goal of providing enough trained technicians to service every hospital in Rwanda within three years.

Rwanda has been experiencing a remarkable recovery from a devastating civil war that took place in the 1990s. However, the nation still suffers from a severe lack of trained personnel in the health care professions. Much of the medical equipment in Rwandan hospitals is now non-functional, due in large part to a lack of trained technicians to maintain and repair it. As a result, the health system loses the opportunity to treat and diagnose patients, exacerbating the country’s difficulties with diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB, and with primary healthcare for non-communicable conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. This BMET Training Program includes three years of courses and is the most comprehensive technician training program yet to be conducted in Rwanda.

The GE Foundation has generously donated new medical equipment to Rwanda, in addition to numerous other developing countries in Africa. A donation of the same equipment will supplement the training program conducted by EWH. The equipment will be an educational aid for the students in the program. The investment in training skilled technicians will ensure that the equipment delivered by the GE Foundation and most other medical equipment in Rwanda can be properly maintained and remain serviceable for many years into the future.

Training of hospital technicians has begun in Spring 2010. The training takes place in Kigali, Rwanda at the Kigali Health Institute.