Windhoek
Katutura and Windhoek Central hospitals face a challenge to accommodate a large number of student doctors and medical interns due to the lack of in-country specialists.
Medical superintendent at Katutura Hospital Dr Nelago Amagulu said at a roundtable meeting organised by the High Commission of India that the two hospitals, as well as Oshakati State Hospital are teaching hospitals affiliated to the University of Namibia (Unam) School of Medicine.
“The greatest concern for Katutura and the Windhoek Central hospitals, as teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Namibia School of Medicine, is the [lack of] capacity at specialist level to support this initiative,” Amagulu said on Monday during a discussion on the challenges facing the health sector.
Due to the lack of medical specialists the hospitals cannot accommodate many medical interns, as it risks compromising on the quality of patient care, Amagulu explained.
The roundtable discussion was aimed at creating a better understanding of the current status of cooperation and the potential for future expansion. “What would be great is to support the Unam School of Medicine and hospitals with skills,” Amagulu emphasised.
She further said there are close to 1 000 Namibians studying medicine at various institutions in the world. These students have to do internships in Namibia to familiarise themselves with the working environment here, she explained.
The concern is that if the lack of medical specialists continues unabated the hospitals would not be in a position to accommodate many students for internships, as it could compromise the quality of the work, explained Amagulu.
“The number of interns that can be taken in depends on the number of specialists on the ground. We cannot just accept the numbers… The capacity must be there so that quality is not compromised,” Amagulu said.
The years 2018 to 2020 will be crucial for Namibia, as many Namibian students will graduate from medical schools in various parts of the world, and as per the requirements of the Health Professions Council of Namibia (HPCN). These graduates will have to undergo a two-year internship programme before they can practice as medical doctors.
Amagulu said the ideal situation would be for the Indian government – through cooperation agreements – to impart capacity to Namibians in a local setting in order for the interns to become familiar with the environment here.
Also addressing the challenges facing the health sector, Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Bernard Haufiku added that one of the problems the ministry struggles with is the issue of information technology and data capturing.
Haufiku said his ministry wants to get rid of the patient health passport system, where patient demographics and health status is recorded on a health passport (the green book). Instead, a new system is proposed, whereby a health identification card will be issued to patients and their data captured electronically.
It’s an efficient way of handling data, Haufiku said, adding that there is a data mine in the country.
However, “we’re not tapping into the data that is available. There is a lot we can do. We need to strengthen research and development,” the minister noted. He also said, in terms of medical supplies, the country is not where it should be.
“There is a need for a manufacturing plant [in Namibia], even if it is only for ARV’s (antiretroviral therapy). However, it should be well planned and executed with the private sector and government involved, as well as experienced partners, such as the Indians, for example,” Haufiku said. “There is a need for such a plant and it can be done. It has been done in Uganda,” the health minister stressed.
In addition, he said the government has not done much in taking up assistance from the government of India.
“We’re missing a lot of opportunities, [yet] most of our products are from Indian companies. We need to make use of the available products and services offered by India,” he said.
Furthermore, he said the health sector could do a whole lot more if it embraces technology.
“We can make our lives easier if we embrace technology,” he noted, adding that India is advanced at so many levels and Namibia can learn a lot from that country.
“We need to increase our collaboration in the area of research,” said the minister, who also responded to a comment by the High Commissioner of India, Vinay Kumar, that the Namibian government has not responded to an offer by the Indian government on a US$100 million line of credit.
One requirement for this line of credit, said Kumar, is that it should be used for sourcing equipment from that country. A proposal needs to be prepared here and sent to the government of India, he added.
Kumar also announced that as from March the High Commission of India will offer yoga classes to Namibians. The classes would be held at the Indian High Commission and, as the demand increases, will be extended to other institutions such as hospitals.
Although not widely practised in Namibia, yoga is popular in India and is embraced in that country’s health sector, Kumar explained.