N$40m injection to heal dilapidated Katutura hospital
The works ministry announced that N$40 million has been secured for the renovation of the Katutura Intermediate Hospital; however, the presence of hordes of patients has thrown a spanner in the works.
This is the biggest renovation of a state hospital since independence, the ministry said.
Executive director Esther Kaapanda yesterday told the media that they have appointed a number of contractors that are working on the seventh floor and some other sections of the hospital. She stressed that they are hoping to finalise the renovation this financial year and are working hard to make sure the money does not return to treasury.
This, she said, includes having to negotiate to have it placed in a suspension fund if delays continue.
Not all smooth sailing
“It is not all smooth sailing. It’s a big hospital, there are many patients and there are challenges with the other stakeholders when it comes to the renovation. A number of purchase orders have even been issued to some contractors. The challenge is that if we want to do such a massive renovation, we have to relocate the patients,” she said.
She added that they are now in talks with the health ministry to see whether alternative accommodations can be found for the patients.
According to her, the issue is getting access to the floors to speed up renovations and they hope to resolve this soon.
The Katutura hospital plays host to an average of 1 000 patients on a daily basis. In some rooms, the capacity is only four people, but they are “forced to squeeze in about 10 people in a room”.
State assets
Meanwhile, the ministry is in the process of polishing its asset register, which has kept it busy for the last three years - including having staff traversing the country to verify government assets.
“We know what we own. Hopefully within the next two months, we can submit this to Cabinet. The issue of illegal occupation is a challenge and we are doing our evictions through the Office of the Attorney-General. We have those who are cooperating and then there are those who are not cooperating. But we are working with the deeds office to verify and finalise this,” Kaapanda said.
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This is the biggest renovation of a state hospital since independence, the ministry said.
Executive director Esther Kaapanda yesterday told the media that they have appointed a number of contractors that are working on the seventh floor and some other sections of the hospital. She stressed that they are hoping to finalise the renovation this financial year and are working hard to make sure the money does not return to treasury.
This, she said, includes having to negotiate to have it placed in a suspension fund if delays continue.
Not all smooth sailing
“It is not all smooth sailing. It’s a big hospital, there are many patients and there are challenges with the other stakeholders when it comes to the renovation. A number of purchase orders have even been issued to some contractors. The challenge is that if we want to do such a massive renovation, we have to relocate the patients,” she said.
She added that they are now in talks with the health ministry to see whether alternative accommodations can be found for the patients.
According to her, the issue is getting access to the floors to speed up renovations and they hope to resolve this soon.
The Katutura hospital plays host to an average of 1 000 patients on a daily basis. In some rooms, the capacity is only four people, but they are “forced to squeeze in about 10 people in a room”.
State assets
Meanwhile, the ministry is in the process of polishing its asset register, which has kept it busy for the last three years - including having staff traversing the country to verify government assets.
“We know what we own. Hopefully within the next two months, we can submit this to Cabinet. The issue of illegal occupation is a challenge and we are doing our evictions through the Office of the Attorney-General. We have those who are cooperating and then there are those who are not cooperating. But we are working with the deeds office to verify and finalise this,” Kaapanda said.
[email protected]
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