Kagame faults minister for decision to screen US, Spain travellers
Rwanda's Minister for Health, Dr Agnes Binagwaho. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
By EDMUND KAGIRE
Posted Thursday, October 23 2014 at 15:03
Posted Thursday, October 23 2014 at 15:03
IN SUMMARY
- The Ministry of Health announced that in a bid to protect the health of all residents and visitors to Rwanda, all incoming passengers from Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, USA and Spain or anyone or anyone who has travelled to these countries within the last 22 days were requested to call a toll free line 114 on a daily basis.
In a rare show of public criticism, Rwandan President Paul Kagame took to twitter to lambast his Health Minister Dr Agnes Binagwaho for 'acting without thinking' over the decision to screen and monitor all travellers from the United States and Spain for Ebola.
Rwanda made headlines on Tuesday when it announced that it will be screening all travellers from countries which have registered Ebola cases, including the US and Spain.
The Ministry of Health announced that in a bid to protect the health of all residents and visitors to Rwanda, all incoming passengers from Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, USA and Spain or anyone or anyone who has travelled to these countries within the last 22 days were requested to call a toll free line 114 on a daily basis.
The Ministry said it required the travellers to report their health conditions daily for at least 21 days as part of the country's strengthened programme to combat the disease. Two days after the decision was announced, Dr Binagwaho also took to the social media site to reverse the decision to screen travellers from US and Spain.
"The MoH (Ministry of Health) is removing special screening of travellers from US and Spain. Apologies for any inconvenience caused by my decision as Minister of Health, which was solely mine and not endorsed by the government of Rwanda", Binagwaho tweeted.
In no time, President Kagame also took to the microblogging site to dispel the decision of screening travellers from the two countries, which in the last few weeks have recorded Ebola cases and one death.
"It is good the Minister of Health Dr Binagwaho #Rwanda, reversed herself on the Ebola decision with respect to some countries she [mentor]...not necessary," he tweeted.
"She has sometimes acted first and thought later...it should be the other way round! :)," the Rwandan head of state added, concluding the tweet with a 'smile' icon, perhaps to indicate that he said it on a light note.
The Health Minister however said that "Rwanda's efforts to implement right measures for Ebola prevention to protect our people will continue to be implemented countrywide" despite revoking restrictions on the Americans and Spaniards. But Rwanda continues to deny entry to visitors who travelled to Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, or Sierra Leone within the past 22 days.
The US Embassy in Kigali had also released an updated notice to US citizens to Kigali highlighting the new changes in the screening process.
"On October 19, the Rwandan Ministry of Health introduced new Ebola Virus Disease screening requirements," it read.
"Visitors who have been in the United States or Spain during the last 22 days are now required to report their medical condition—regardless of whether they are experiencing symptoms of Ebola," the US mission announced in the notice released Tuesday.
However, Rwandan authorities continue to deny entry to visitors who travelled to Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, or Sierra Leone within the past 22 days.
"We urge US citizens who may have a fever or who have travelled to countries where an Ebola outbreak has occurred to weigh carefully whether travel to Rwanda at this time is prudent given measures to screen incoming visitors. Please note neither the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs nor the US Embassy have authority over quarantine issues and cannot prevent a US citizen from being quarantined should local health authorities require it," the US Embassy warned.
The announcement followed revelations that so far 30 people have been quarantined at the isolation centre located at Kanombe Military Hospital, a short distance from Kigali International Airport but the government says there are no US nationals among the said individuals who have since been cleared.
22 of the 30 quarantined people are Rwandans who exhibited high temperatures and any other sign similar to symptoms of Ebola but they were later released after testing negative. One Germany national who had been to Sierra Leone prior to traveling to Rwanda was among those quarantined.
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