Taimi Haihambo

ONGWEDIVA – Medipark Private Hospital has hosted its second burn wound awareness campaign, highlighting the dangers of burn injuries and stressing the importance of prevention.

According to Dr Caridad Lopez San Luis, a plastic surgeon at Medipark, most burn cases in Namibia involve children under the age of 10, with nearly 80% cases affecting this age group. She revealed that the country still records a burn-related death rate of 5.43 per 100 000 hospital admissions.

“Our homes have become common sites for burn injuries. We often see children scalded by hot water, burnt by fire, porridge, or other hot liquids,” San Luis said.

Doctors also expressed concern that many patients fail to complete their therapy or miss follow-up appointments, which can result in permanent disability. In some cases, caregivers allegedly keep patients with severe wounds at home in the hope they would qualify for disability grants.

“That grant is not meant to keep someone disabled at home. It is better to bring patients to hospital so they can get proper care and live a normal life like others,” emphasised Dr Sera Munthali, a paediatrician at Medipark.

The campaign also featured testimonies from survivors. Hilario Fonseka shared an emotional story of his young son, who sustained severe burns but survived after receiving treatment at Medipark.

“I want to thank the staff of Ongwediva Medipark for their hard work and support. Without them, I do not know how my son would have survived,” Fonseka said.

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