By Albertina Nakale
WINDHOEK- The Tender Board has approved the purchase of 150 ambulances for the Ministry of Health and Social Services to mitigate the shortage in the country.
Although it was not indicated how much was budgeted for the procurement of the ambulances, Landine Beukes, Deputy Director for Clinical Support Services confirmed the Tender Board has approved the request to procure the ambulances.
She said about 100 fully equipped ambulances have been distributed to all 14 regions over the past three financial years.
Five response vehicles were distributed to Windhoek, Omuthiya, Usakos and Rehoboth district hospitals in the previous financial year.
“The ministry is in the process of procuring more ambulances for health facilities to minimise the shortage of ambulances. The Tender Board approved the request to advertise tenders to procure ambulances,” said Beukes.
Further, she highlighted some of the achievements the ministry undertook during the previous and current financial years.
She said the ministry in partnership with the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA ) Fund of Namibia intends to train or upgrade the existing ambulances drivers from all over the country to the level of qualified emergency care practitioners-basic life supporters (ECP-B), at the National Health Training Centre in Windhoek before 2016.
She also revealed that the health ministry and the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) signed an MoU concerning training on ECP-B, nursing trauma, advanced and cardiac life support for doctors.
“The ministry plans to conduct three more ECP-B training courses before December this year,” she said.
Moreover, she said the ministry has finalised the draft bill on human tissue, adding that the bill was with legal drafters before going to cabinet.
The bill is to provide for the donation or the making available of human bodies and tissue for the purposes of medical or dental training, research or therapy, the post-mortem examination of certain human bodies and the removal of tissue, blood products and gametes from the bodies of living persons and the use thereof for medical or dental purposes.
Such an act will regulate the import and export of human tissue, blood and blood products as well as to provide for matters incidental thereto.