Ramatex could become medical research hub
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
Former health minister Dr Bernard Haufiku says they will prioritise medical research and promote access to quality healthcare at the former Ramatex textile factory in Windhoek, which is being converted to a hospital.
He says they hope to strengthen research in disease surveillance and epidemiology in collaboration with international researchers.
“It is not going to be a free service hospital because there will be nurses and doctors working in there and logistics and support services. There will be water and electricity supply and all of this will cost money.
“We are currently waiting on the people who are modelling the business plan to inform the plan we are going to follow,” said Haufiku.
Not for profit
According to Haufiku, the project will be run as a Section 21 company, which is a non-profit entity, and its major focus will be infectious diseases.
“We want to try and balance quality of care and access to quality care. In order to give as many people access to quality and affordable care, you must maybe take out the element of profit.
“The other thing is that we look at the project as an infectious disease project, which includes Covid-19 and possibly other infectious dieses of national health concern,” he said.
He added that although the number of Covid-19 infections may drop given increased vaccination coverage, Covid-19 will not just vanish.
“We’ve had other pockets of potentially dangerous outbreaks and we cannot say for sure that there will be no more Covid-19; there will still be cases of Covid-19 for a while.
“It is a dynamic process; we will see what other infectious disease we can accommodate there, maybe something like multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis.
“The project will initially be started as a national emergency care centre and that can easily change to an infectious disease hospital,” he said.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Former health minister Dr Bernard Haufiku says they will prioritise medical research and promote access to quality healthcare at the former Ramatex textile factory in Windhoek, which is being converted to a hospital.
He says they hope to strengthen research in disease surveillance and epidemiology in collaboration with international researchers.
“It is not going to be a free service hospital because there will be nurses and doctors working in there and logistics and support services. There will be water and electricity supply and all of this will cost money.
“We are currently waiting on the people who are modelling the business plan to inform the plan we are going to follow,” said Haufiku.
Not for profit
According to Haufiku, the project will be run as a Section 21 company, which is a non-profit entity, and its major focus will be infectious diseases.
“We want to try and balance quality of care and access to quality care. In order to give as many people access to quality and affordable care, you must maybe take out the element of profit.
“The other thing is that we look at the project as an infectious disease project, which includes Covid-19 and possibly other infectious dieses of national health concern,” he said.
He added that although the number of Covid-19 infections may drop given increased vaccination coverage, Covid-19 will not just vanish.
“We’ve had other pockets of potentially dangerous outbreaks and we cannot say for sure that there will be no more Covid-19; there will still be cases of Covid-19 for a while.
“It is a dynamic process; we will see what other infectious disease we can accommodate there, maybe something like multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis.
“The project will initially be started as a national emergency care centre and that can easily change to an infectious disease hospital,” he said.
[email protected]
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