N$150m Ongwediva cancer centre brings vital care closer to patients
Keeping families together during critical care
The new centre is expected to serve patients from four northern regions, offering access to treatment without the need to relocate or travel long distances.
A state-of-the-art cancer treatment centre under construction in Ongwediva aims to end the decades-long challenge of patients from northern Namibia having to travel hundreds of kilometres to Windhoek for care.
The long journeys have not only placed a financial strain on patients, but also separated them from their families during treatment.
The Namibian Oncology Centre (NOC) this week held a groundbreaking ceremony for the facility, which is expected to cost around N$150 million.
Construction is scheduled to begin on Monday, with completion set for June 2026.
According to NOC finance director Stephanie Quarmby, once completed, the centre will bring vital services closer to more than 800 000 people living in northern Namibia.
At present, northern patients travel approximately 600 kilometres to Windhoek for cancer treatment, which many can’t afford.
“Behind every statistic lies a human story. Behind the 600 kilometres our northern patients currently travel for treatment in Windhoek lies separation from family and financial strain during their most vulnerable moments," Quarmby said.
"Behind every delayed diagnosis lies a life that could have been saved with earlier intervention. Today, we begin to rewrite those stories,” she added.
She said the construction site "represents restored dignity for over 850 000 people across the Oshana, Omusati, Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions.
“For the first time, a grandmother from Outapi will receive chemotherapy while her family brings her home-cooked meals. A father from Ondangwa can continue radiotherapy without choosing between treatment and his children’s school fees for accommodation in Windhoek.”
High-quality services
The NOC centre will offer a full spectrum of integrated oncology services, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, specialised consultations and supportive care, equal to those offered elsewhere in the country.
“Our patients will access the same multidisciplinary team approach, the same cutting-edge equipment and the same commitment to treating not just the disease but the whole person. The only difference will be that they can sleep in their own beds and wake up surrounded by their community’s love,” Quarmby said.
Oshana governor Hofni Iipinge officiated the ceremony.
Iipinge applauded the initiative and said it is a reminder that development is not just measured in buildings or budgets "but in lives saved, pain relieved and futures preserved. This site will soon become a place where lives are changed and, in many cases, where lives are saved.”
At the event, cancer survivor Ndayelekwa Kayofa shared her story of having to travel to Windhoek for treatment and the challenges this presented.
She expressed deep gratitude for the construction of a cancer centre near her home, saying it would bring much-needed relief to patients and families in the region.
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The long journeys have not only placed a financial strain on patients, but also separated them from their families during treatment.
The Namibian Oncology Centre (NOC) this week held a groundbreaking ceremony for the facility, which is expected to cost around N$150 million.
Construction is scheduled to begin on Monday, with completion set for June 2026.
According to NOC finance director Stephanie Quarmby, once completed, the centre will bring vital services closer to more than 800 000 people living in northern Namibia.
At present, northern patients travel approximately 600 kilometres to Windhoek for cancer treatment, which many can’t afford.
“Behind every statistic lies a human story. Behind the 600 kilometres our northern patients currently travel for treatment in Windhoek lies separation from family and financial strain during their most vulnerable moments," Quarmby said.
"Behind every delayed diagnosis lies a life that could have been saved with earlier intervention. Today, we begin to rewrite those stories,” she added.
She said the construction site "represents restored dignity for over 850 000 people across the Oshana, Omusati, Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions.
“For the first time, a grandmother from Outapi will receive chemotherapy while her family brings her home-cooked meals. A father from Ondangwa can continue radiotherapy without choosing between treatment and his children’s school fees for accommodation in Windhoek.”
High-quality services
The NOC centre will offer a full spectrum of integrated oncology services, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, specialised consultations and supportive care, equal to those offered elsewhere in the country.
“Our patients will access the same multidisciplinary team approach, the same cutting-edge equipment and the same commitment to treating not just the disease but the whole person. The only difference will be that they can sleep in their own beds and wake up surrounded by their community’s love,” Quarmby said.
Oshana governor Hofni Iipinge officiated the ceremony.
Iipinge applauded the initiative and said it is a reminder that development is not just measured in buildings or budgets "but in lives saved, pain relieved and futures preserved. This site will soon become a place where lives are changed and, in many cases, where lives are saved.”
At the event, cancer survivor Ndayelekwa Kayofa shared her story of having to travel to Windhoek for treatment and the challenges this presented.
She expressed deep gratitude for the construction of a cancer centre near her home, saying it would bring much-needed relief to patients and families in the region.
[email protected]
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