Ministry to build more hospitals
The minister of health and social services, Bernard Haufiku, says his ministry will focus on building health facilities this year.
Addressing journalists on Friday, Haufiku announced that they would start construction of the Aussenkehr health facility this year. A tuberculosis hospital in Keetmanshoop is also expected to be completed this year.
“The new clinic at Mariental is projected to be finished this year,” Haufiku said.
The construction of the Kongola health centre in the Zambezi Region is also on the cards.
The minister hopes that five more hospitals will be used to train interns this year, bringing the number of hospitals taking in interns to eight.
Haufiku said the continuous concern of foreign doctors setting up private practices in Namibia would be a thing of the past.
“Anyone who qualifies from anywhere and wants to come and practise medicine in Namibia will have to do public service for five years,” Haufiku said.
“This applies to Namibian students too, who will have to practice for five years in the public sector, inclusive of their internships and community health service.
“This is in the best interest of the health sector,” said Haufiku.
Haufiku also shed light on a proposed memorandum of understanding between the ministry of health and private doctors to enable specialists to treat patients in state hospitals.
This will help reduce the number of patients who have to travel to Windhoek to receive medical attention.
Another added benefit of this agreement is that these doctors will also help train doctors in the regions.
The ministry's aim is to strengthen regional capacity.
“We want district hospitals and regional hospitals to function properly to a point that only about 15% to 20% of patients should be transferred to Windhoek. “This will be complemented with the ongoing outreach campaign which the Ministry of Health and Social Services initiated in 2015,” the minister said.
MICHAEL KAYUNDE
Addressing journalists on Friday, Haufiku announced that they would start construction of the Aussenkehr health facility this year. A tuberculosis hospital in Keetmanshoop is also expected to be completed this year.
“The new clinic at Mariental is projected to be finished this year,” Haufiku said.
The construction of the Kongola health centre in the Zambezi Region is also on the cards.
The minister hopes that five more hospitals will be used to train interns this year, bringing the number of hospitals taking in interns to eight.
Haufiku said the continuous concern of foreign doctors setting up private practices in Namibia would be a thing of the past.
“Anyone who qualifies from anywhere and wants to come and practise medicine in Namibia will have to do public service for five years,” Haufiku said.
“This applies to Namibian students too, who will have to practice for five years in the public sector, inclusive of their internships and community health service.
“This is in the best interest of the health sector,” said Haufiku.
Haufiku also shed light on a proposed memorandum of understanding between the ministry of health and private doctors to enable specialists to treat patients in state hospitals.
This will help reduce the number of patients who have to travel to Windhoek to receive medical attention.
Another added benefit of this agreement is that these doctors will also help train doctors in the regions.
The ministry's aim is to strengthen regional capacity.
“We want district hospitals and regional hospitals to function properly to a point that only about 15% to 20% of patients should be transferred to Windhoek. “This will be complemented with the ongoing outreach campaign which the Ministry of Health and Social Services initiated in 2015,” the minister said.
MICHAEL KAYUNDE
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