By Eveline de Klerk
ARANDIS – Residents of the mining town of Arandis will no longer need to travel 60 kilometres to Swakopmund to seek medical treatment as the N$15 million medical facility at the town will soon be operational.
The new facility belongs to the Ministry of Health and Social Services and was funded under the Targeted Intervention Programme for Employment and Economic Growth (TIPEEG).
Speaking to New Era last week, the public relations officer of the Arandis Municipality, Andrew !Hoaeb, said a medical facility of this magnitude was long overdue for the town due to the fact that residents have to travel all the way to Swakopmund for medical assistance.
He added that the lack of proper transport for emergencies and pregnant women was also a concern for council as they had to be transported with a bakkie (pickup truck) in case of an emergency.
“We also took note that many of our residents are vulnerable and sometimes do not have the financial means to seek medical assistance, therefore it was important to avail land and seek financial assistance to construct such a centre,” the municipal spokesperson said.
According to !Hoaeb the centre will be capable of handling any sort of emergencies.
“The centre is not only an added advantage to the town but for the whole Erongo Region. Arandis is centrally located in the region and this guarantees a quicker response to emergencies especially vehicle accidents in the region,” he noted.
According to !Hoaeb they expect the centre to be operational within the next three months.
“The centre will be inaugurated by the Minster of Health and Social Services, Richard Kamwi, and we expect it to be operational soon afterwards,” he said.
The centre was constructed by Amupolo Building Construction.