Kavango West to get health director soon

Kavango West to get health director soon Kenya Kambowe



RUNDU

Health ministry executive director Ben Nangombe says the recruitment process for a health director for the Kavango West Region has been completed.

Nangombe, who was responding to a Namibian Sun enquiry, said within the next three weeks, the public will be informed about the successful candidate who will fill the position for a region gagged by health woes.

He added that the appointment means that an entire health directorate will be established for the region, and that positions have been filled in that regard, after having been advertised last year.

With the establishment of a Kavango West health directorate, this will mean that both Kavango regions will have their own directorates.

Since the demarcation of the region in 2013, Kavango West’s health issues have been addressed from Rundu in Kavango East, which has been seen as cumbersome and failing the masses who need service delivery.

However, it will not be a walk in the park for the soon-to-be-appointed director as the region is generally poorly represented as far as health facilities are concerned.

Dire situation

Residents have to walk long distances to the nearest clinics, which are often understaffed. The situation has been and continues to be dire as far as acquiring health services is concerned.

In fact, during her state of the region addresses since the inception of the region, Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku has consistently bemoaned the lack of health facilities in her region, adding that the masses are being deprived access to a basic service.

The region is also known for being home to abandoned health infrastructure projects, with Ausiku repeatedly calling on government to address these with urgency.

One such project is the Nkurenkuru Primary Health Centre which has been under construction for over five years and is yet to be completed.

When contacted for comment on the recent development regarding the health directorate for her region, Ausiku was not reachable.

kenya@namibiansun.com