WALVIS BAY - The success of smart partnerships is evident in Erongo region with the private sector taking the leading role in assisting the public health sector as well as residents in the region during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A task force consisting of business and political leaders is mobilising funds and food supplies aimed at minimising the effects of the virus in Erongo region. 

One of the world’s leading ship repair company Namdock last Friday handed over restored medical equipment to the Erongo regional Corona Care Initiative. 
The equipment comprises of 25 hospital beds, one mortuary trolley, three patient trolleys, three emergency trolleys and nine bedside trolleys, that were repaired at a cost of N$60 000.

Although the company was on lockdown, a few artisans willingly took it upon themselves to be part of the process and restored the medical equipment that will be returned to the Walvis Bay State Hospital. 
Heritha Muyoba, the acting CEO of Namdock and the chairperson of the Corona Care task team explained the idea is to assist in the fight against the pandemic by ensuring the region is well equipped for the deadly virus. 

“The task team came up with a regional initiative as far as the covid-19 pandemic is concerned. The idea is to make sure that people are well cared for while at home and our medical personnel have the right equipment to their disposal,” she explained. 
However, she says other towns in the region, do not have the economic advantages like Walvis Bay, hence the initiative had to be expanded.
Local businessman, Johnny Doeseb also explained the task force has a social responsibility to mobilise funds, especially for the public health sector. 

“I received a call from the Swakopmund State Hospital earlier this week. They had no light in the delivery rooms and needed bulbs in order to deliver babies. We had to source them. They were donated by West Coast Fishing,” he said.
“ It is our social responsibility to mobilise any resources we have available to ensure that our health sector is top notch all over the country. The committee is working tirelessly to ensure that all these gaps are closed,” he said. 

Doeseb added that Covid-19 has exposed loopholes within the community, especially in the health sector. 
Meanwhile, the task force also received 1200 canned fish from Eyambulepo Fishing Investments (Pty) Ltd. 
Edwin Kamatoto, the managing director of Novanam and a member of the resource mobilisation committee on the Corona Care Initiative explained the  fish donation would be distributed across the region. 
“We need to make sure our people are taken care of since the lockdown restricts the movement of our people. 
-edeklerk@nepc.com.na 

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