KEETMANSHOOP – In an impassioned plea, //Kharas governor Aletha Frederick has called on inhabitants to get vaccinated not only to protect themselves but also their loved ones.
This was the key message to fellow citizens in the region during a long-awaited state of the region address last Friday.
“Let our people one day say that this generation defeated Covid-19 so that we can live in a safe and free democratic country,” she encouraged.
“Frederick also expressed her sympathy towards every citizen of the region and country who has lost their loved ones to the dreadful disease.
“Fellow citizens, I call upon all the inhabitants of this region to take up their personal responsibility and adhere to all mandatory and statutory health protocols, so as to stay safe,’’ said the politician. Frederick urged teachers, heads of department, principals and support staff
members at schools to get vaccinated before returning to school for the resumption of face-to-face teaching. Learners and teachers are expected to resume face-to-face teaching and learning on 4 August.
Frederick further said the region has an acute shortage of medical officers and nursing staff, adding that the health ministry is also experiencing shortages of essential vaccination commodities such as fridges, photocopy paper and other materials.
“There is also a lack of sonar machines and mobile X-ray machines, the state hospitals at Karasburg and Lüderitz do not have wall-mounted oxygen supply systems, we have a shortage of mortuary space, there is also a need to develop an emergency operations centre,” added Frederick.
She called for harmonious cooperation between the public and private sector for effective coordination of response strategies, noting that such cooperation, which is crucial amidst crisis-filled conditions, should include the joint mobilisation of resources.
“I urge all good-natured individuals, institutions and the corporate world to support regional efforts in order to collectively fight the Covid-19 pandemic, which is causing considerable socio-economic havoc in Namibia, and any form of assistance is welcomed to overcome the shortage of oxygen and requisite machinery,” she stressed.
She continued to urge the community to keep sanitising their hands, wear their masks, maintain the prescribed social distance and avoid attending mass gatherings. A total of 6 461 people received their first vaccinations while 2 145 have received their second doses in the
//Kharas region so far at 15 vaccination points.
“This figure is, however, way too low for our region and I once again urge all of us in the region to get vaccinated. Let us break free and
steer clear from the ongoing stigmatisation, disinformation and misinformation via social media,
and strive as a united force to achieve herd immunity,” said Frederick.
The governor said the region as of Friday recorded a total number of 7 049 Covid-19 positive cases while 166 people have succumbed to the virus and 6 548 recovered from the virus.
-Additional reporting by Nampa