This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
Published on May 12, 2020, Rwanda has taken a unique approach in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic by deploying humanoid robots in its treatment centers.
The robots, manufactured by Kigali-based Belgian robotic tech firm Zorabots, have been tested in treating Covid-19 patients and doctors have been trained on how to operate them.
According to Dr. Daniel Ngamije, Rwanda's Minister of Health, the robots can monitor patients' vital signs, including temperature, heart rate, blood, and oxygen levels, and relay the information to doctors and nurses remotely.
"One robot can screen 200 patients for temperature in one minute," Dr. Ngamije said. "When the doctor wants to discuss with the patient in words where the robot is stationed, the machine has videoconference capacity of connecting the doctor to have a live conversation with the patient," he added.
The robots are equipped with facial recognition capabilities, can enforce proper mask-wearing, and deliver food, water, and medicine in and out of the wards.
The project is being run by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Technology, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), and Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA).
