Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation

On November 19, 2019, The Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation along with Dr. Tyrrell and Dr. Cheung had the pleasure of presenting Dr. Etienne Amendezo with a grant to help fund his time as a cardiology resident here in Edmonton.

Originally from Rwanda, and currently studying in Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Amendezo is on a three month rotation at the Royal Alexandra Hospital to further enhance his knowledge and broaden his exposure in the cardiology field.

“My learning experience has been wonderful so far. I have seen many different procedures here that I don’t see in Nairobi,” says Dr. Amendezo. “There, if a person suffers cardiac arrest, it is rare to see them recover fully.”

“I started in cardiology because, in Rwanda, there are only four practising cardiologists for 11 million people. There is a massive demand for cardiac care. I want to learn as much as possible so that I can go back and improve the care we provide and help further educate my colleagues.”

“I am so grateful to the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation for their support, and to Dr. Tyrrell and Dr. Cheung, not only for their training but their support as well. I never thought that this would happen and I am very thankful.”

Dr. Amendezo returns to Kenya to finish his last year of training at the end of December but looks forward to learning everything he can prior to that.

“I have enjoyed my time in Edmonton and at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. All of the staff have been very accommodating and welcoming and it has been wonderful to experience Edmonton. I plan to come back when I am done my training in Kenya to participate in angioplasty training in the future.”

The Royal Alexandra Hospital cardiology department has a long-standing history of international training and education. We look forward to continuing to support this type of work and to welcome Dr. Amendezo back at the Royal Alex in the not so distant future!