SHADIKONGORO – The Ministry of Health and Social Services will not tolerate delays in the provision of critical health services to people, says the minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula.
Thus, contractors entrusted with projects should work with speed and deliver quality complete projects, he said.
Due to poor workmanship, the ministry has several critical incomplete and abandoned projects in the two Kavango regions.
Shangula made the remarks when he officially inaugurated the Shadikongoro Primary Health Care (PHC) Clinic at Shadikongoro village in Mukwe Constituency, Kavango East Region, on Tuesday.
“We will not tolerate delays in the provision of critical health services to our people,” he said.
“I wish to extend my appreciation to the contractor who built this clinic, while on that point, I wish to urge other contractors involved in the implementation of capital projects for the ministry to ensure that they are completed on time,” he continued.
Shangula stated that the ministry will continue to upgrade its services and facilities. “I am therefore urging the Shadikongoro community and the surroundings to utilise these services in order to improve their quality of life. Mothers and fathers are encouraged to take all their children for routine immunization,” he said.
The Shadikongoro Primary Health Care Clinic in Mukwe Constituency was upgraded from a zinc makeshift structure to a fully-fledged clinic at a cost of N$7 021 244. It comprises the clinic itself, staff accommodation and an incinerator.
“This is part of our commitment as a ministry to modernise our health facilities to bring health care services closer to our people and improve health outcomes through our programmed interventions,” he noted.
Shangula during the event also urged women of childbearing age, including school-going girls, to make use of family planning services at the clinic. “The place for girls is in the classrooms and not in maternity wards,” he added.
“This clinic was built through collective efforts. I invite you to join me in unveiling the plaque to mark the official opening of the Shadikongoro Primary Health Care Clinic,” he said.
The clinic now provides the nearby communities with health services such as deliveries, antiretroviral therapy (ART), adolescent health, TB treatment and care and other vital services.