Our dismal public healthcare There appears to be no end in sight to the many and deep-seated problems at the heart of Namibia's public healthcare sector.
It goes without saying that there are so many challenges, on many different levels, which continue to haunt the country's health system, to the detriment of those who are yearning for proper care and infrastructure. When former President Hifikepunye Pohamba instituted a presidential inquiry into the public health sector, a potpourri of issues were uncovered, including the negative attitudes of nurses, doctors and other hospital staff, as well as the shortage of medicine and equipment that are essential for prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of patients. Despite recognising this crisis, government is still finding it difficult to ensure that procurement and maintenance plans for medical supplies and equipment are effectively developed and implemented. The situation at the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital is depressing - to the say the least. Namibian Sun reported last week that many diagnostic machines at the northern facility are out of order and red tape has been blamed for delaying their replacement or repair. Equipment at the only referral hospital catering to patients from all the northern regions and southern Angola, is overused because of the high demand for health services. In Windhoek, the situation is no different, as The Namibian recently reported that over 60 cancer patients had to be turned away at both the Katutura and Windhoek Central hospitals, after radiation machines at the institutions broke down. For far too long, negative attention has overwhelmed the provision of public healthcare in this country. Obviously government budget cuts had a huge impact on the operations of many ministries, including health, but in our bid to save millions, hospitals should not be allowed to make do with second-grade resources. It is disheartening to see nurses working at public district and state hospitals with a critical shortage of medical equipment. How do we expect quality nursing care if perennial governance issues are allowed to rear their ugly heads all the time?
It goes without saying that there are so many challenges, on many different levels, which continue to haunt the country's health system, to the detriment of those who are yearning for proper care and infrastructure. When former President Hifikepunye Pohamba instituted a presidential inquiry into the public health sector, a potpourri of issues were uncovered, including the negative attitudes of nurses, doctors and other hospital staff, as well as the shortage of medicine and equipment that are essential for prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of patients. Despite recognising this crisis, government is still finding it difficult to ensure that procurement and maintenance plans for medical supplies and equipment are effectively developed and implemented. The situation at the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital is depressing - to the say the least. Namibian Sun reported last week that many diagnostic machines at the northern facility are out of order and red tape has been blamed for delaying their replacement or repair. Equipment at the only referral hospital catering to patients from all the northern regions and southern Angola, is overused because of the high demand for health services. In Windhoek, the situation is no different, as The Namibian recently reported that over 60 cancer patients had to be turned away at both the Katutura and Windhoek Central hospitals, after radiation machines at the institutions broke down. For far too long, negative attention has overwhelmed the provision of public healthcare in this country. Obviously government budget cuts had a huge impact on the operations of many ministries, including health, but in our bid to save millions, hospitals should not be allowed to make do with second-grade resources. It is disheartening to see nurses working at public district and state hospitals with a critical shortage of medical equipment. How do we expect quality nursing care if perennial governance issues are allowed to rear their ugly heads all the time?