WINDHOEK – The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) will extend the operating hours at Katutura Health Centre to 24 hours a day. The clinic is situated at the corner of Independence Avenue and Clemence Kapuuo Street, at the mall known as Black Chain.
Previously, the clinic operated from 07:00 to 19:00. Without giving a specific launch date, MoHSS Executive Director Ben Nangombe confirmed that they are looking at publicly launching the 24-hour service very soon.
“We have recruited staff members including medical officers, assistant pharmacists and others. But as I said the public will be informed in the next few weeks and a public announcement will be made on the extended operation hours,” stated Nangombe.
Nangombe said they initially started testing with extended operating hours to see how the services and the mechanism are being taken up. “So far so good. I visited the facility one evening, incognito, and the services are going well,” Nangombe informed New Era.
In addition, the Health Minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula will also inaugurate three clinics in Kavango East and West regions next week. The clinics are Shidikongoro, Dcwatjinga and Ncaute primary health clinics.
Nangombe said these three clinics are allocated within the communities and were actually smaller facilities with one to two rooms. “They were then upgraded – they were smaller, old clinics which were upgraded to be able to offer much more services to the public, and that is the ministry’s mission, to expand and bring services closer to the people so that they don’t have to walk long distances,” he said.