Living up to its reputation as Africa’s most technologically advanced country, Rwanda has acquired robots as part of efforts aimed at tackling the menace of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. Though the country has a fairly good handle on the disease, government officials say there will be no room for a let-up. To this end, five new robots with the ability “to screen 50 to 150 people per minute,” have been deployed to aid the fight against COVID-19, says he country’s Health Ministry. The five anti-epidemic robots, which were each given Rwandan names: Akazuba, Ikirezi, Mwiza, Ngabo, and Urumuri, have been equipped with screening capabilities, and will help administer temperature checks, monitor patient status, and keep medical records.
According to tweets from the Ministry of Health’s page, the robots have the ability “to screen 50 to 150 people per minute, deliver food and medication to patient rooms, capture data and notify officers on duty about detected abnormalities.” Health Minister Daniel Ngamije said that the country is working on getting more robots that can perform other tasks such as disinfecting public spaces.
The robots are manufactured by a Belgium-based company and also have the capability to alert health workers of abnormalities and warn people who aren’t wearing masks or are wearing them improperly. Considered the country considered being at the forefront of technological advancement on the continent, and this has apparently extended to the public health realm during the pandemic. “The infectious nature of COVID-19 calls for technological innovations to tackle the pandemic. This is why Rwanda has introduced robots and drones among other high-tech initiatives to enhance efficiency in the fight,” ICT and Innovation Minister Paula Ingabire is quoted as saying. To date, Rwanda has recorded just under 300 cases with 203 recoveries and no death.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry