Ministry ‘regrets’ patient bus left stranded without fuel

The health ministry has been forced into a rare public admission of failure after a government patient bus travelling from Windhoek to Katima Mulilo ran out of fuel mid-journey, leaving vulnerable patients stranded and one in a deteriorating condition.

Health ministry spokesperson Walters Kamaya told Namibian Sun yesterday that the ministry acknowledges the seriousness of the incident, with the bus stranded in Divundu due to insufficient fuel.

“We regret the inconvenience caused, particularly the impact on the patient whose condition deteriorated during the delay.”

Independent Patriots for Change MP Borniface Susiku pressed the ministry over the controversial patient transport incident, demanding a full account of what went wrong and who was responsible.

He questioned how a referral vehicle could run out of something as fundamental as fuel, and what this revealed about planning and financial controls within the system.

Susiku also asked the ministry to confirm whether protocols exist to protect patients in transit from avoidable risks and whether those protocols were followed.

He also demanded to know what disciplinary action had been taken and what reforms would be put in place to prevent a recurrence.

The ministry confirmed the bus was stranded at Divundu for more than two hours after it ran out of fuel.

Action taken

Kamaya said corrective measures had already been initiated, with a meeting convened on 13 April between the ministry's fleet management division and Standard Bank under the Blue Fuel Management system.

“Among the key resolutions discussed was the need to increase the monthly fuel thresholds to ensure that allocated limits are not prematurely depleted, thereby preventing disruptions to critical transport services,” he said.

Kamaya added that the ministry remains committed to improving the reliability and safety of patient transport services and preventing similar incidents in future.

Last year, Namibian Sun reported that patients, drivers and nursing staff travelling from Windhoek Central Hospital to Oshakati had raised concerns over what they described as meagre food rations provided on the patient transfer journeys.

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