Namibia now has a dedicated Paediatric ICU linked to heart surgery.

Speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has called for stronger national support for public healthcare, describing the state system as the “safety net of the nation” during a visit to Windhoek Central Hospital this week.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila toured several sections of the hospital as part of her parliamentary outreach programme, including the newly established **Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and specialised cardiac facilities that are expected to strengthen treatment for critically ill children.

During the visit, the Speaker also handed over small donations for young patients and their families, including an iPad aimed at supporting children’s educational development, story books and boxes of toiletries for parents caring for hospitalised children.

She described the gesture as a symbolic contribution to show support for families navigating the challenges of hospital care. “Otherwise, it’s just small gifts for the children and the parents – just a token that we see they are here and we care,” she said.

The toiletries, she explained, are meant to assist parents staying with their children at the hospital so they can better care for them during their treatment.

But beyond the donations, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila used the visit to highlight the importance of public healthcare in Namibia, saying the state system serves not only vulnerable citizens but also acts as a crucial fallback for those who normally rely on private medical services.

“This is not only where the most vulnerable who cannot afford private healthcare come – it is actually the fallback position,” she said.

“Even for those who can afford private healthcare, when they are unable to get that service from the private sector for one reason or another, they fall back onto the state system.” “For that reason, it is the safety net of the nation.”

The Speaker also emphasised the need for stronger partnerships between government, businesses and individuals to support healthcare institutions.

“I want to emphasise the need for especially the private sector, but also corporate entities and individuals, to continue to give whatever little they can,” she said. “No contribution is too small to make a difference.”

Healthcare professionals at the hospital used the opportunity to brief the Speaker on the operations of the newly established paediatric intensive care unit and specialised catheterisation laboratory facilities.

According to Paediatrician and Taskforce member,Fenny Shidhika, the PICU provides dedicated care for children requiring high-level monitoring and treatment, including those recovering from complex surgeries such as heart, neurosurgical and neonatal procedures.

The unit forms a key component of Namibia’s growing paediatric cardiac surgery programme, allowing critically ill children to receive specialised care in a dedicated environment rather than general intensive care wards.

The newly commissioned catheterisation laboratory also allows doctors to perform specialised diagnostic procedures and minimally invasive interventions for selected heart conditions, reducing the need for open-heart surgery in some cases.

Shidhika says such facilities are essential for improving outcomes for children with congenital and other complex heart conditions.

During the engagement, healthcare professionals also highlighted broader challenges facing specialised healthcare services in Namibia, including the limited pool of highly specialised medical professionals.

Shidhika notes that the country’s relatively small population makes it difficult to sustain the large multidisciplinary teams required for complex sub-specialties such as paediatric cardiac care.

Despite these challenges, officials say continued investment in infrastructure, training and partnerships with international institutions is helping to build local capacity.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the development of healthcare services remains central to the broader goals of Namibia’s independence and development.

“Freedom and independence should not only be political,” she said.

“It should also mean the fulfilment and respect of the full rights of individuals, including their right to live a life of dignity free from disease and to realise their full potential.” She added that achieving these goals requires the collective efforts of the government, the private sector and the public.