WALVIS BAY – Namibia is at the forefront again with the provision of quality health care as the medical fraternity witnessed the unveiling of a modern lung clinic that cost N$7 million at Welwitschia Hospital.
The new lung clinic is a collaborative initiative between the privately-owned Welwitschia Hospital, the Paul Coulson Foundation, the University of Bern and the Namibian Uranium Institute, as well as some doctors.
The opening of the clinic means Namibians diagnosed with lung cancer and related illnesses and who were normally referred to South African hospitals can now be treated at the new clinic.
The clinic will also provide consultation and evaluation of patients with ear, nose and throat problems, allergies, sleep disorders and respiratory related diseases upon a doctor’s referral.
According to Dr Wotan Swiegers, lung diseases are common at the coast therefore it was only fit to establish such a facility at Walvis Bay.
Swiegers said coastal residents are exposed to radon gas, a gas produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil, rock and water, that eventually becomes part of the air that residents breathe.
“Since uranium is produced in Erongo Region and many suffer from diseases such as asthma and sinus, this clinic will play a vital role in diagnosing and treating lung-related illnesses,” the doctor explained.
The clinic will comprise of a modern lung laboratory and most clinic staff will be locally sourced or from the existing staff at the Welwitschia Hospital.
There will be a highly specialised team of physicians to provide lung cancer patients with coordinated diagnosis and innovative treatment.
“The complexity of lung cancer treatment requires input from various experts skilled in different medical specialties. For this reason, a multidisciplinary clinic will provide a unique service to patients and increase communication with physicians. The clinic will be able to perform bronchoscopes as well as intra-pulmonary sonography,” stated Swiegers.
The lung clinic will use a low dose 16 Slice CT scanner unveiled in March this year in Germany.
The machine was developed with new technology to reduce patient radiation dose by up to 70 percent and this gives new hope for the screening of lung cancer.
Also speaking during the official opening of the clinic, the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi, applauded the initiators.
He said government alone cannot single-handedly achieve quality health care and therefore it genuinely appreciates the role played by the private sector.
The burden of respiratory diseases which are among the leading causes of death worldwide especially in Africa has been a concern for the ministry, he said.
By Eveline de Klerk