Windhoek
The provision of healthcare for farmworkers and workers in the meat supply industry was propelled into a new era last week with the launch of Meatco’s Comprehensive Health Management Services and Outreach Project of more than N$4 million.
This groundbreaking programme will benefit some 390 permanent staff workers of Meatco in Windhoek and their families and reletives, as well as 232 permanent staff members and their relatives from the Meatco Okahandja plant.
The project will also reach out to Meatco’s workforce and farmworkers in eleven regions. With the extensive new programme, Meatco also set new standards for healthcare in the workplace: the clinic at its Windhoek premises was recently upgraded and is conducted as per the compliance requirements of the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
Paying tribute to the achievement, Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Bernard Haufiku said the programme will contribute toward Namibia’s focus on health as a strategic focus area of government.
He stressed the importance of healthcare for rural people, such as farmworkers and their dependents, noting that Meatco’s supply chain consists of 4 817 farms spread over eleven regions.
“Meatco’s comprehensive healthplan builds on the foundation of the Namibia Food Safety Policy, which aims to ensure food safety for all consumers and to provide sufficient food safety quarantees on all food products traded nationally or exported to other countries.
The Meatco clinic has a certificate allowing it to operate as a health facility, as stipulated by the Hospital and Health Facilities Act, and social services now meet all standards required by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, and international quality standards.
The clinic currently serves an average of 30 patients per day and about 150 per week. The limitation is due to the system upgrade and the set-up of the system to efficiently serve workers.
A physician has been contracted to visit the clinic once a week for employee diagnoses and medical check-ups that the nurse cannot attend to, as well as for referrals.