Rwanda has expanded its arsenal of robots to combat the spread of COVID-19. The country took delivery of three solar-powered ultraviolet-light (UV-C) cleaning machines, which are worth US$210 000, earlier this month.

According to the UN’s ReliefWeb, the robots will be deployed in the Nyarugenge District hospital, using UV-C rays to destroy any micro-organisms that might have been missed during usual cleaning procedures.

Donated by the UNDP and the Japanese government, the trio joins five smart anti-epidemic robots that were delivered to Rwanda eight months ago to reduce contact with patients. The five machines are supporting healthcare workers at treatment centres and other designated sites, including Kigali Airport, where they are screening more than 50 people a minute for abnormalities related to the virus.

16 February 2021
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