Ngurare slams decade-long Nkurenkuru hospital delay

Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare says government will no longer tolerate delays to critical health infrastructure projects.

Speaking at Triumphant College’s graduation ceremony last week, Ngurare said funding had already been made available for construction projects in Nkurenkuru, Ondangwa, Otjiwarongo and Windhoek as part of broader efforts to strengthen healthcare services.

He singled out the Nkurenkuru Intermediate Hospital in Kavango West, stressing that projects where preparatory work had already been completed should no longer remain trapped in red tape.

“We have also decided that where feasibility studies were already conducted, such as Nkurenkuru Intermediate Hospital, it must be constructed without delay,” Ngurare said.

Ngurare delivered a pointed warning to officials and professionals responsible for public infrastructure planning and implementation, cautioning against procedural bottlenecks that stall delivery.

“Equally, feasibility studies must not be used as legal delays by those professionals entrusted with such duties,” he said.

Currently, the region relies on Nkurenkuru District Hospital services at Nankundu, while patients requiring advanced care are referred to the Intermediate Hospital in Rundu, about 130 kilometres away.

The Nkurenkuru Town Council has availed 50 hectares of land for the construction of the hospital, underscoring long-standing local support for the project.

More than a decade of waiting

His remarks are likely to resonate strongly in Kavango West, where the hospital has remained dormant for years despite expectations that it would transform healthcare access.

Since its groundbreaking ceremony in November 2014, no construction has taken place at the site apart from the erection of a perimeter fence.

The facility was expected to bring relief to residents and ease pressure on the Rundu Intermediate Hospital, which currently serves as a referral facility for patients from both the Kavango and Zambezi regions.

The prolonged delay has left residents dependent on referrals to Rundu and other centres for specialised care, placing additional strain on an already burdened health system.

In anticipation of the long-overdue commencement of construction, a public consultation meeting was held in March in Nkurenkuru as part of the environmental impact assessment process.