Rudolf Gaiseb
“I went to the room, and I found Elijah lying down. He passed me his phone, and I started reading what was typed on it. He wrote, ‘Mama, I’m not feeling okay. I’m not feeling well. When I breathe, my chest hurts.’”
These are words of Emma Ludwina giving an account of the events that transpired on the morning of 31 January 2026, leading to the death of her son, Elijah Laurenzo Areseb, a 21-year-old resident of Otjiwarongo.
Areseb died at the State hospital due to alleged medical negligence.
Ludwina told New Era that Areseb had a flu and was struggling to breathe.
According to the mother’s account, he was taken to the hospital on Saturday but was later discharged despite not having 100% oxygen saturation in his body.
He was prescribed antibiotics but could not receive his medication, as it was unavailable in the State hospital’s pharmacy.
Additionally, the pharmacist was allegedly at home and would only be called if there was an emergency.
So, the mother proceeded to buy antibiotics at a private pharmacy.
Areseb was returned to the hospital on 2 February 2026 to do the requested tuberculosis screening test and received the negative results two days later.
However, the following day, he woke up fine at home but started having trouble breathing again.
An ambulance was called that Thursday morning but never arrived.
“I then took him with a taxi to the hospital,” Ludwina noted.
Upon arrival, the nurses treated his medical emergency with an alleged lack of urgency, with Ludwina getting assisted by a hospital cleaner and a taxi driver to carry him in with a wheelchair “whilst the nurses sat peacefully unbothered”.
Ludwina said she had earlier requested the nurses to help her son, who was at the casualty ward door in the taxi, unable to breathe and walk.
“Elijah did not receive the necessary emergency medical care on time, and as a result, he died because he could not breathe,” Ludwina recounted.
Additionally, there are claims that there was no doctor at the hospital that morning, and that the doctor only came running after Areseb had already died.
The personnel reportedly tried to put an IV drip on Areseb while seeing that he was struggling to breathe amid the mother screaming and begging them to put an oxygen mask on him. “But by then, Elijah’s fingertips were already turning blue, and he started moving in a convulsion/seizure-type of manner, beating his chest and gasping for air,” she added.
Health executive director Penda Ithindi, in a statement last Tuesday, stated that the ministry takes allegations of medical negligence and procedural failure very seriously.
“While we understand the community’s desire for immediate answers, we must ensure that due process is followed to arrive at a fair and accurate conclusion,” he said.
He assured the community that if the investigation finds any evidence of negligence, deviation from clinical protocols or administrative failure, appropriate remedial and disciplinary actions will be taken to ensure accountability.
“We are committed to transparency and will communicate the findings and the way forward once the process is concluded,” he pinpointed.
Protest
Following these events, the community members of Otjiwarongo held a demonstration last Monday against what they experience as an ongoing crisis at the hospital: medical negligence and unprofessional conduct.
The petition handed in to the town’s authorities demands improved healthcare and a complete overhaul in the hospital’s administration.
They pleaded for professionalism and efficiency in the conduct of health workers when attending to patients and sufficient medical supplies.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Social Services has asked the residents to be patient while they investigate.
The ministry has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Areseb’s care and the institution’s clinical management.
The son
Areseb completed grade 11 at Monica Geingos Secondary School.
Ludwina had planned to get her son sponsorship to undertake training at Namibia Wildlife Protection because of his passion for animals.
Areseb was not an A student, but his mother and his teachers were fond of his never-give-up attitude, noting he was hard-working and a motivation to his fellow students.
His biology and physical science teacher, Naemi Nelumbu, described him as a good learner, who was obedient and bubbly. “He was a goal-driven learner and tried his best. He didn’t give up,” she said.
He came late to class but was an overall good learner, she said, not giving his teachers a tough time.
Another teacher who taught him history, Tsuses Mwalengwa, said Areseb in his time at the school never reported sick.
Mwalengwa said, as young as he was, he encouraged and empowered learners to study and gave counselling and encouragement.
“He was dedicated to serving the school and the learners. He was a loving, caring and helpful person. He could mingle with any other learner,” she said.
She remarked that Areseb left a mark, and his loss leaves a big gap that nobody can fill.