Contractor stalls completion of Kavango West isolation facility
KENYA KAMBOWE
RUNDU
An electrical contractor appointed last month to complete the Nkurenkuru Primary Healthcare Centre, which is supposed to become the Kavango West Region's Covid-19 isolation facility, is not yet on site.
This means that Kavango East will have to accommodate the confirmed Covid-19 cases from its sister region.
Last month Namibian Sun reported that new contractors had been appointed to complete the outstanding work on the clinic, which was supposed to have commissioned five years ago.
The outstanding work includes the installation of electrical wiring, fire detection, telecommunication, data and Private Automatic Branch Exchange (PABX) services, air-conditioning and cold-room equipment, medical gas supply and a standby generator. The installations can only start once the electrical wiring is complete.
Logistics
However, when contacted for comment on the progress of the project, Kavango's chief medical officer, Dr Abiola Adesina, said no progress had been made because the contractor was experiencing logistical problems.
He could not indicate when the issue will be resolved.
“The contractors have not started with the project. The delay is from the contractors. They are experiencing challenges and we are just waiting on them. The contractor who should do the electrical installation is delaying others,” Adesina said.
Kavango West has recorded two confirmed coronavirus cases so far. Both patients are under supervised isolation at the Rundu State Hospital in the Kavango East Region because Kavango West has no isolation facility.
Kavango West leaders fuming
Over the years, national and regional leaders have visited the project and demanded that it be completed, yet nothing happened after their visits, which left residents furious.
In 2017, former vice-president Nicky Iyambo visited the project and appealed that it be completed.
Last year, health minister Kalumbi Shangula toured the Kavango West Region and visited the Nkurenkuru clinic project.
In 2014, former president Hifikepunye Pohamba officiated at the groundbreaking for the envisaged Nkurenkuru District Hospital. That project is yet to be completed and much of the work is still outstanding.
For the past four years, Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku has appealed for the completion of the clinic in her state of the region address.
When contacted for comment yesterday, Ausiku said she had raised her concerns on numerous occasions with the health ministry as well as the works ministry.
She urged that the project to be completed without further delay.
“I raised my concern when officials from the ministry of health and social services, as well as the ministry of works and transport, visited the site in May 2020. I also repeated the concern of the region during state of region address in July.
“The region now has two Covid-19 cases and I believe the two ministries will address the region's concern and complete the project without further delay,” Ausiku said.
RUNDU
An electrical contractor appointed last month to complete the Nkurenkuru Primary Healthcare Centre, which is supposed to become the Kavango West Region's Covid-19 isolation facility, is not yet on site.
This means that Kavango East will have to accommodate the confirmed Covid-19 cases from its sister region.
Last month Namibian Sun reported that new contractors had been appointed to complete the outstanding work on the clinic, which was supposed to have commissioned five years ago.
The outstanding work includes the installation of electrical wiring, fire detection, telecommunication, data and Private Automatic Branch Exchange (PABX) services, air-conditioning and cold-room equipment, medical gas supply and a standby generator. The installations can only start once the electrical wiring is complete.
Logistics
However, when contacted for comment on the progress of the project, Kavango's chief medical officer, Dr Abiola Adesina, said no progress had been made because the contractor was experiencing logistical problems.
He could not indicate when the issue will be resolved.
“The contractors have not started with the project. The delay is from the contractors. They are experiencing challenges and we are just waiting on them. The contractor who should do the electrical installation is delaying others,” Adesina said.
Kavango West has recorded two confirmed coronavirus cases so far. Both patients are under supervised isolation at the Rundu State Hospital in the Kavango East Region because Kavango West has no isolation facility.
Kavango West leaders fuming
Over the years, national and regional leaders have visited the project and demanded that it be completed, yet nothing happened after their visits, which left residents furious.
In 2017, former vice-president Nicky Iyambo visited the project and appealed that it be completed.
Last year, health minister Kalumbi Shangula toured the Kavango West Region and visited the Nkurenkuru clinic project.
In 2014, former president Hifikepunye Pohamba officiated at the groundbreaking for the envisaged Nkurenkuru District Hospital. That project is yet to be completed and much of the work is still outstanding.
For the past four years, Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku has appealed for the completion of the clinic in her state of the region address.
When contacted for comment yesterday, Ausiku said she had raised her concerns on numerous occasions with the health ministry as well as the works ministry.
She urged that the project to be completed without further delay.
“I raised my concern when officials from the ministry of health and social services, as well as the ministry of works and transport, visited the site in May 2020. I also repeated the concern of the region during state of region address in July.
“The region now has two Covid-19 cases and I believe the two ministries will address the region's concern and complete the project without further delay,” Ausiku said.
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