New referral hospital for northern Namibia planned
The Ministry of Health and Social Services plans to construct a referral hospital in the Oshana Region to alleviate the pressure on existing health facilities.
Currently, the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital and Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital serve as referral hospitals in northern Namibia.
The minister of health and social services, Dr Bernard Haufiku, said the new facility would alleviate the congestion at these two hospitals, as well as help deal with the problem of having patients travel some 700 kilometres to Windhoek for referrals.
Haufiku was speaking at a consultative meeting with northern health professionals and the political leadership from the Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati and Oshikoto regions at Ongwediva on Thursday.
He said the hospital would either be similar in size to the Windhoek Central Hospital, or somewhat bigger, and would have 900 to 1 200 beds.
It would serve patients who would otherwise have been referred to the Windhoek Central Hospital or Katutura Intermediate Hospital from Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshikoto, Kavango East, Kavango West, Kunene and Zambezi for emergencies.
“It is a big project that will create lots of job opportunities during construction,” Haufiku said.
The new hospital would also serve as a training facility and would be used for research purposes.
Ondangwa and Ongwediva have been identified as the possible sites for the facility.
The Oshana regional leadership has been asked to come up with a recommendation for a site at Ondangwa and Ongwediva, which will then be assessed for suitability by independent geo-scientific consultants.
The ministry expects feedback from them by the end of June this year.
It is expected that the project will be privately funded, with Government to take it over at a later stage.
NAMPA
Currently, the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital and Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital serve as referral hospitals in northern Namibia.
The minister of health and social services, Dr Bernard Haufiku, said the new facility would alleviate the congestion at these two hospitals, as well as help deal with the problem of having patients travel some 700 kilometres to Windhoek for referrals.
Haufiku was speaking at a consultative meeting with northern health professionals and the political leadership from the Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati and Oshikoto regions at Ongwediva on Thursday.
He said the hospital would either be similar in size to the Windhoek Central Hospital, or somewhat bigger, and would have 900 to 1 200 beds.
It would serve patients who would otherwise have been referred to the Windhoek Central Hospital or Katutura Intermediate Hospital from Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshikoto, Kavango East, Kavango West, Kunene and Zambezi for emergencies.
“It is a big project that will create lots of job opportunities during construction,” Haufiku said.
The new hospital would also serve as a training facility and would be used for research purposes.
Ondangwa and Ongwediva have been identified as the possible sites for the facility.
The Oshana regional leadership has been asked to come up with a recommendation for a site at Ondangwa and Ongwediva, which will then be assessed for suitability by independent geo-scientific consultants.
The ministry expects feedback from them by the end of June this year.
It is expected that the project will be privately funded, with Government to take it over at a later stage.
NAMPA
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