Kombat clinic crucial
05 September 2019 | Ministries
The health ministry has issued a clarification following news reports that it is renting a clinic at Kombat for N$50 000 a month.
The press statement issued by executive director Ben Nangombe states that the ministry wants to address “false, untrue and misleading information which are making the rounds on social media” regarding the Kombat clinic.
Nangombe confirmed that following the purchase of the mining town by a Namibian company, Manila Investments, the ministry entered into negotiations regarding the use of a building as a clinic.
Nangombe noted that prior to these negotiations, while the mine was still operational, a two-room building was allocated to the ministry to use as a clinic.
No formal rent agreement was in place during that time.
Nangombe explained that an agreement was eventually reached with Manila Investments, endorsed by the Office of the Attorney-General, for the ministry to rent the building for N$50 000 per month.
“The rental fee includes the use of the building itself, water, electricity and the maintenance of infrastructure such as sewerage reticulation, because Kombat does not have a municipality or local authority to cater for these services.”
Nangombe clarified further that in 2018, Grove Mining renovated another building with five rooms and offered it to the health ministry to be used as a clinic.
The rent remained N$50 000 per month.
The clinic was relocated from the two-room building to the five-room building, and currently employs five staff members, consisting of one registered nurse, one enrolled nurse, two health assistants and one cleaner.
“While the current situation is not ideal, the ministry is constrained by lack of its own facility at the town. It is within this constrained environment that we are doing the best we can to ensure that public health care services are available to Kombat residents,” Nangombe said.
He stressed that “doing anything else would be highly irresponsible.”
Nangombe said the clinic offers a variety of health services to residents, including antenatal care, postnatal care, growth monitoring of children, provision of family planning, treatment of minor ailments, preventive services such as immunisation, and emergency care services in cases of accidents and disease outbreaks.
The ministry is planning to deploy an additional two registered nurses to the clinic.
Nangombe further noted that land has been made available at Neu Sommerau, a government resettlement farm adjacent to Kombat, for the construction of a public health facility.
JANA-MARI SMITH
The press statement issued by executive director Ben Nangombe states that the ministry wants to address “false, untrue and misleading information which are making the rounds on social media” regarding the Kombat clinic.
Nangombe confirmed that following the purchase of the mining town by a Namibian company, Manila Investments, the ministry entered into negotiations regarding the use of a building as a clinic.
Nangombe noted that prior to these negotiations, while the mine was still operational, a two-room building was allocated to the ministry to use as a clinic.
No formal rent agreement was in place during that time.
Nangombe explained that an agreement was eventually reached with Manila Investments, endorsed by the Office of the Attorney-General, for the ministry to rent the building for N$50 000 per month.
“The rental fee includes the use of the building itself, water, electricity and the maintenance of infrastructure such as sewerage reticulation, because Kombat does not have a municipality or local authority to cater for these services.”
Nangombe clarified further that in 2018, Grove Mining renovated another building with five rooms and offered it to the health ministry to be used as a clinic.
The rent remained N$50 000 per month.
The clinic was relocated from the two-room building to the five-room building, and currently employs five staff members, consisting of one registered nurse, one enrolled nurse, two health assistants and one cleaner.
“While the current situation is not ideal, the ministry is constrained by lack of its own facility at the town. It is within this constrained environment that we are doing the best we can to ensure that public health care services are available to Kombat residents,” Nangombe said.
He stressed that “doing anything else would be highly irresponsible.”
Nangombe said the clinic offers a variety of health services to residents, including antenatal care, postnatal care, growth monitoring of children, provision of family planning, treatment of minor ailments, preventive services such as immunisation, and emergency care services in cases of accidents and disease outbreaks.
The ministry is planning to deploy an additional two registered nurses to the clinic.
Nangombe further noted that land has been made available at Neu Sommerau, a government resettlement farm adjacent to Kombat, for the construction of a public health facility.
JANA-MARI SMITH
Classifieds