The Namibian Public Service Medical Aid Scheme (Psemas) has encountered several issues over the years. These issues range from ghost members, excessive costs, and overage dependents. Fortunately, efforts are currently underway to overcome these issues and improve Psemas’ effectiveness. According to the 2024/25 to 2026/27 medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF), progress on Psemas reforms for 2024/25...
Battling a kidney disease is harrowing, and conforming and keeping up with the recommended diet is challenging to many who do not have the financial means. Kidney dialysis patient Simon Halweendo (42) said it is tough keeping to his diet as it is expensive. He is not allowed to eat fats and food with high...
Michelle Hiangoro said over time, she discovered a passion for fitness that went beyond just physical health as it became part of her mental and emotional well-being, and then later as a career. Hiangoro, who is a fitness trainer at a local gym, said she is working towards maintaining overall health, increasing her strength and...
Fitness coach Peter Sakaria, who has trained both professional and amateur boxers, emphasises the importance of making time to exercise, regardless of age or fitness level. Sakaria, one of the coaches running Extreme Bootcamp in the capital, advocates for the myriad benefits of staying fit and healthy. “There are more benefits to fitness than just...
Health is wealth. The international community agrees that good health is of social and economic value to individuals, society and the economy in general. Good health enables the prosperous and flourishing societies that governments strive to achieve. Investing in health is a wise choice in the best of times and an urgent necessity in the worst of...
Lahja Nashuuta Residents of Havana have welcomed the construction of the Windhoek District Hospital as a move in the right direction. “Our government is truly helping the nation with its initiatives. People will no longer walk long distances to see doctors at Katutura Intermediate and Windhoek Central National Level Hospital. We are very happy about...
The director of the Nutrition and Food Security Alliance of Namibia (NAFSAN) Ben Schernick says undernutrition in the form of stunting or wasting seriously impacts health. He told New Era this happens while affected individuals are vulnerable to additional health conditions, and many children die of malnutrition in hospitals every year. According to the latest...
With about 38 772 members and 80 082 beneficiaries, the Namibia Health Plan (NHP) is one of the leading medical aid funds in the country. In August 2022, Dantago Garosas took over as the principal officer at NHP. Over the years, NHP has grown sustainably; its focus is to provide value-for-money healthcare benefits designed to...
Since the establishment of the University of Namibia School of Dentistry, the country has steadily improved on access to dentistry, although it still has a long way to go to meet World Health Organisation standards. Namibia has only three maxillofacial surgeons, two orthodontists, and one orthodontist who mostly operates in the private sector, something that the...
Tonateni Shidhudhu I recently experienced firsthand the exemplary medical treatment provided by the staff at Lady Pohamba Private Hospital. As a patient requiring continuous care and monitoring, I was struck by their high level of professionalism. This experience, contrasting sharply with my childhood hospitalisation and my subsequent familiarity with the varying standards of care in public...