Haufiku wants Okahao hospital money back
A hospital renovation project at Okahao has been in limbo for eight years, while the health minister and his officials disagree about the money paid to a fly-by-night contractor.
The ministry of health and social services is in the process of recovering N$16 million of the N$17 million paid to Messrs Property Decorative Developer in 2010 to upgrade and renovate the Okahao District Hospital.
The project remains incomplete after the contractor abandoned it for no apparent reason nearly seven years ago. According to the health minister, Bernard Haufiku, the money was paid to Messrs Property Decorative Developer before they started doing the work.
In 2015 the hospital's senior medical officer, Dr Mary Nandjebo, said that about N$17 million had been paid to the contractor. The ministry's senior health programme officer, Martin Mukulu, asserted that the ministry had only paid for work done and approved by the consultants on the project.
In an interview with Namibian Sun, however, Minister Haufiku said this money was paid before the company even started the work. He said the work done by the contractor was not worth N$17 million and the ministry would try to recover N$16 million of it.
“The completion of this hospital will be budgeted in the 2018/2019 financial year, but the ministry has to recover the N$16 million of this money. This money was paid to the contractor before they started doing the work. They abandoned the project but the work they have done is not worth N$16 million,” Haufiku said.
The health minister said the ministry of works was monitoring the project and he did not understand how the contractor could get paid before doing the work.
Mukulu's version differs from the minister's, though.
“There was no advance payment on this project and therefore the contractor did not run away with any government funds. The contractor also forfeited the performance guarantee provided to government on the project as part of the contract agreement and conditions of employment,” Mukulu said.
It was reported that in 2012 the works ministry cancelled the contract of Messrs Property Decorative Developer, but no new contractor was appointed.
Efforts to obtain comment from the contractor failed, as nobody could be reached at the contact details given on official documents.
The incomplete project is taking its toll on hospital staff and patients alike.
The renovations included the hospital's outpatient department, pharmacy, radiography department, dental clinic, laboratory, eye clinic and communicable disease control (CDC) department.
Patients needing X-rays are referred to the Indira Gandhi Clinic about 13 kilometres from Okahao, while for other services patients are referred to Oshakati Intermediate Hospital, which is 75 kilometres away.
ILENI NANDJATO
The project remains incomplete after the contractor abandoned it for no apparent reason nearly seven years ago. According to the health minister, Bernard Haufiku, the money was paid to Messrs Property Decorative Developer before they started doing the work.
In 2015 the hospital's senior medical officer, Dr Mary Nandjebo, said that about N$17 million had been paid to the contractor. The ministry's senior health programme officer, Martin Mukulu, asserted that the ministry had only paid for work done and approved by the consultants on the project.
In an interview with Namibian Sun, however, Minister Haufiku said this money was paid before the company even started the work. He said the work done by the contractor was not worth N$17 million and the ministry would try to recover N$16 million of it.
“The completion of this hospital will be budgeted in the 2018/2019 financial year, but the ministry has to recover the N$16 million of this money. This money was paid to the contractor before they started doing the work. They abandoned the project but the work they have done is not worth N$16 million,” Haufiku said.
The health minister said the ministry of works was monitoring the project and he did not understand how the contractor could get paid before doing the work.
Mukulu's version differs from the minister's, though.
“There was no advance payment on this project and therefore the contractor did not run away with any government funds. The contractor also forfeited the performance guarantee provided to government on the project as part of the contract agreement and conditions of employment,” Mukulu said.
It was reported that in 2012 the works ministry cancelled the contract of Messrs Property Decorative Developer, but no new contractor was appointed.
Efforts to obtain comment from the contractor failed, as nobody could be reached at the contact details given on official documents.
The incomplete project is taking its toll on hospital staff and patients alike.
The renovations included the hospital's outpatient department, pharmacy, radiography department, dental clinic, laboratory, eye clinic and communicable disease control (CDC) department.
Patients needing X-rays are referred to the Indira Gandhi Clinic about 13 kilometres from Okahao, while for other services patients are referred to Oshakati Intermediate Hospital, which is 75 kilometres away.
ILENI NANDJATO
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