IMPALILA – Impalila Island on the eastern tip of the Zambezi Region is the recipient of a primary health care centre built for N$11.6 million.
Impalila residents have in the past said they have to travel to nearby Botswana and Zambia to seek medical service and to buy their groceries.
Refurbishment of the once crammed and dilapidated clinic serving close to 3 000 inhabitants of Impalila Island began some 17 months ago.
Speaking during the inauguration of the now expanded clinic, the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Nchabi Kamwi, noted that plans for the upgrade emanated from concerns raised during one of the Masubia cultural festivals.
Given the number of people it receives as a relocation centre during floods the green light was given for the upgrade of the clinic to a health centre.
“The issue of building a health centre was first raised during the Masubia festival. The matter was further debated in Cabinet. There were of course other priority areas in terms of population but since Impalila is a relocation centre for thousands of people living in flood-prone areas we decided to revamp the clinic,” stated Kamwi.
Kamwi also revealed that Cabinet approved the Impalila health centre as one of the facilities that will host student nurses as interns.
He further noted the health centre will in future have regular doctor visits as the country continues to bolster its health expertise.
“Plans are underway for doctors to visit the clinic even twice a week. We are currently faced with a skills challenge. We have not reached a level where this clinic can receive regular visits,” he said.
According to Kamwi government has stepped up efforts aimed at curtailing the skills deficit currently plaguing the country.
“We have opened health training centres in Windhoek, Keetmanshoop and Windhoek. We also have a training centre here in Katima Mulilo. We signed MoUs with many countries such as Zambia, Kenya, South Africa and Russia to train our students. We also have a medical school. All these efforts will address the challenge of a shortage of doctors and pharmacists,” he said.
With the Zambezi Region said to be among the leading regions in terms of HIV prevalence, Kamwi implored Impalila residents to take advantage of the expansion of health services now readily available to the community.
“We have an extension of services apart from the treatment of ailments. We do not want to hear of people dying when there is this clinic. Zambezi is still leading in terms of HIV and AIDS. I am inviting the community to make use of this clinic,” said the health minister.
Kamwi, who will be leaving office as minister of health in less than three weeks, is credited as the longest serving health minister on the African continent. He further revealed to the community of Impalila that many capital projects for the health sector were still coming as Cabinet has already approved them for implementation.
“There are many plans for the health sector that have been approved by Cabinet. The new team’s responsibility will be to implement them. For that to happen, they need your support,” he said.
Kamwi who addressed Impalila residents for the last time as minister of health also used the occasion to praise President Hifikepunye Pohamba for being honoured with the coveted Mo Ibrahim leadership award.
“Having worked with President Pohamba for 10 years, I was not surprised by the award. I want to congratulate him,” said Kamwi.
He said he will be bowing out as health minister and was humbled by the fact that his ministry has contributed significantly to the award despite the heavy criticism the health sector receives from the public.
“On the social front, President Pohamba is known as a good leader for scaling down the HIV scourge in the country. We are far ahead in terms of targets. President Pohamba also received an award for eliminating malaria. For this I am a proud minister of health. Despite all these achievements, I am the most criticised minister because this ministry is very complex,” he said.
Impalila clinic which receives on average 30 patients per day now boosts two treatment rooms, an in-patient room, a mortuary and accommodation for three staff members.
Once transformed into a fully-fledged health centre, the facility will cater for over 20 000 people including those coming from areas hit by floods.
Construction began in April last year and all the work is expected to be completed in September this year at a cost of more than N$14 million.
Last year Masokotwane and Kanono clinics were also inaugurated by Kamwi.