Rwanda launches disinfecting robots to fight the spread of Covid-19

By Maniraguha Ferdinand

Government of Rwanda has acquired Ultra Violet  three robots which which will help in cleaning and disinfecting treatment centres, hospitals and places of mass gathering such as markets, offices as means to limit the spread of the COVID-19. 

These robots came in the time when the country is fighting the pandemic which has increased since the beginning of 2021.

These UV-C robots aim to complement the work of medical personnel and cleaning staff at the treatments centers and other designated places by providing a fully comprehensive infection control and prevention solution. 

“The  acquired UV-C robots have unique features which include the UV-C lamps that emit ultraviolet lights destroying deadly microorganisms that may be missed during the manual cleaning process, hence helping to reduce infection rates for patients and healthcare workers”, reads  the statement from the Ministry of ICT.

Among other capabilities these robots own, they can undertake speedy cleaning and disinfecting patient and operating rooms, labor and delivery, ICU rooms, isolation discharge rooms and other indoor spaces.

On average, one robot can disinfect one room in 32 minutes. They can also kill other kinds of viruses.

Paula Ingabire, the Minister of ICT and Innovation commends this achievement which she says, will yield more effective outcomes in the near future.

 “These robots offer a faster, more effective and less labour-intensive disinfection alternative to manual cleaning.The government of Rwanda  has placed ICT at the centre 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” Minister Ingabire says

Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), Dr Sabin Nsanzimana said that the introduction of robots in COVID-19 case management has contributed to limiting human interaction between healthcare providers and patients.

He was referring to other five robots that were deployed at Kigali International airport, which help in detecting body temperature to minimize contact with patients and therefore reducing the risk of contamination of health professionals. 

 “As we introduce the use of robots in the Infection Prevention Control activities, we intend to even minimize risks of infection of our IPC staffs as they conduct decontamination procedures,” he added.

New robots were  acquired through a partnership between the The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Rwanda, Accelerator Lab (AccLab), Rwanda’s Ministry of ICT and Innovation and Japanese Government.

Rwanda has been ranked sixth among the countries that have handled Covid-19 outbreak best, according to the COVID Performance Index, by the Lowy Institute.