Starlink received praise from healthcare providers in Rwanda recently.
Pilot tests for SpaceX’s Starlink internet services started in Rwanda in 2023. The aerospace company collaborated with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change to get Starlink’s pilot tests running in Rwanda. By June last year, the Rwandan Government had installed Starlink at 40 health centers across a few regions, including Rusizi, Rulindo, and Kigali.
According to healthcare providers, Starlink connection has steadily improved their services and operations. Within the first eight months of Starlink installation, healthcare workers reported significant improvements in their ability to care for their patients.
“The situation before was terrible,” Jean Louis Murhirwa, a midwife at Buyoga Health Centre, told The New Times.
“We had persistent issues with internet connectivity. I remember we could only access the internet in the mornings, and even then, only a few computers and staff members’ phones could connect. The accountant had to hide the WiFi password to limit access,” Murhirwa explained.
Other healthcare providers in Rwanda shared Murhirwa’s experience with Starlink. Elie Ahimana, the head of Kinini Health Centre in Rulindo, encourages other healthcare centers to look into Starlink or similar internet connections.
“We believe more health centers across the country should have access to this kind of internet. It aligns with our national vision for efficient resource use, paperless workflows, research, and quality improvement,” Ahimana.
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