NKURENKURU – The Ministry of Health and Social Services has committed N$1.8 million to complete the Rupara Maternity Ward project.

This commitment was confirmed during a meeting on Friday at the Rupara Health Centre with stakeholders, including the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) and the Kavango West Regional Council.

The funds are intended to cover the remaining 40% of construction work required to finalise the healthcare facility.

The project, which commenced three years ago, is currently at 40% completion and has experienced delays due to procurement processes.

Health Programme Officer and Infrastructure Planner at the health ministry, Boniface Hamutenya, revealed that the outstanding work includes electrical, plumbing, and external infrastructure.

“The ministry of health has pledged N$1.8 million to complete the remaining work, with procurement processes currently underway,” said Hamutenya.

Boniface assured the DBN and the governor that the project team expects to have a more definitive completion date following the ministry of health’s procurement meeting next week, expressing hope of finally delivering this critical healthcare facility to the local community. “Our ministry’s financial commitment is expected to help expedite the project’s completion and address the community’s urgent healthcare infrastructure needs,” said Hamutenya.

DBN, which initially funded the project with N$1 million, expressed growing concern about the lack of progress.

DBN’s Executive for Marketing and Corporate Communications, Jerome Mutumba, emphasised the need for a clear timeline and commitment from all parties, citing reputational risks and the bank’s public accountability.

“This project was scheduled to be handed over in April last year, but the project has experienced delays due to unforeseen circumstances, and the purpose of this meeting is to address those challenges and to know what is required from us, because this is beginning to become more of a reputational risk for the bank having an incomplete project which has a DBN signature on it, and we are not able to account to explain what is happening,” said Mutumba.

Kavango West Governor, Verna Sinimbo, acknowledged the frustrations, highlighting the challenges associated with central government procurement processes.

“These delays are making life difficult for our communities who desperately need this healthcare infrastructure,” she said.