My dearest President Hifikepunye Pohamba, I strongly believe that since the people you have appointed to run the Ministry of Health and Social Services are not performing according to our expectations, it is time for you to step in again.
Mr President on November 4, 2007 around 15h30 I witnessed a serious motor vehicle accident about 40 km from Usakos on the Trans-Kalahari highway. Five people were seriously injured and I immediately phoned Usakos Hospital and Swakopmund Hospital to send ambulances.
About one hour later, two twin-cab bakkies belonging to Ministry of Health arrived from Usakos, one with the registration number GRN 27444 and another with “VCT, PMTCT, ARV Programmes donated by PEPFAR” written on its front doors.
Both drivers were wearing dirty t-shirts, pairs of shorts and sandals and they both claimed to be ambulance drivers. The two nurses who accompanied them looked totally confused, did not even know what to do, or where to start from since, these bakkies had no first aid boxes.
I took it upon myself to ask the two non-uniformed ambulance drivers (looking like botsotsos) and the two nurses why they did not come with ambulances. I was shocked to hear that Usakos Hospital, Karibib Hospital and Otjimbingwe Health Centre have been operating for 18 months without ambulances. They have been using the two bakkies as ambulances. GOD HELP US!!!
Namibians this stretch of the road I am talking about has at least one serious accident every week, and yet the hospitals lack basic tools like ambulances. The festive season is just around the corner, and during this period accident victims will still be carried in these bakkies.
My problem is that the two bakkies could not accommodate the only two stretchers. They had to carry patients with their legs hanging out. No wonder one patient died upon arrival.
Really, I could not believe what my eyes were seeing. I am one person who never believed all the bad things people said in the media about MoHSS earlier this year, now I totally believe and understand.
Mr President I am earnestly appealing to you ask Dr Kamwi, Minister of Health, and Mr Kahuure, Permanent Secretary of Health, to:
1. Secure at least two fully equipped ambulances for the two above-mentioned hospitals before the festive season begins.
2. Train ambulance drivers and nurses at these two hospitals in the admi-nistration of first aid.
3. Ask the Ministry of Local Government to re-introduce Emergency Services in all the municipalities in the country. At the moment it’s only the Windhoek Municipality’s Emergency Service that is fully operational. All the others are partially operational or non-existent, as is the case in Usakos and Karibib.
I believe private companies like the Uranium and Gold Mines near to the hospitals also have a social responsibility. The CEOs of such companies should take up the challenge. I hope one of them listens and tries to plough back part of their profits into the community. I am sure the communities of Karibib, Usakos and Otjimbingwe will be very appreciative if they receive donations in the form of ambulances.
Mr President, I have a feeling that MoHSS is concentrating more on HIV/AIDS programme and neglecting other areas like ambulance services.
Finally, I would like to say these words to the two ambulance drivers without uniforms, and the two nurses.
Should you find my wife and I, or any of our four children, in a motor vehicle accident with your bakkies, I ask please, and again I say please, don’t even touch us. Just call an Emed 24 or International SOS ambulance.
Johannes Angula,
Walvis Bay