NKURENKURU – Government officials are burning the midnight oil to ensure the Kavango West region has an isolation facility ready to cater to Covid-19 patients at least in a moth’s time. 
The region has been without an isolation facility since the Covid-19 outbreak in the country. 

The regional health authorities told New Era a decision was to be made yesterday on the location of the new isolation facility. 
“We looked at two locations, which is at the incomplete PHC clinic in Nkurenkuru or at Nankudu district hospital, which is 20km east of Nkurenkuru. So, today, the ministry will get a final decision on which of the two locations they will erect the isolation facility,” said director of health responsible for Kavango West and Kavango East regions Timeya Ngwira. 

“This facility will be built with prefabricated materials and it will take a month to finish. The design is already available.” 
According to Ngwira, the quantity surveyor requested that the region resolved the final location by yesterday so that the site handover can be done immediately to allow work to start. 

“We also don’t want any delays with increasing cases countrywide; we need it operational as soon as possible so we can know where to isolate people who will test positive,” she added. 

“On the issue of the quarantine facility, we did identify a bed and breakfast in Nkurenkuru town; however, there is a problem with payment and all those requiring mandatory quarantine are taken to Rundu. Today (yesterday), I briefed the ministry of health, who said they will avail a facility for this purpose.” 

Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku said things could have been easier if there were government health facilities in Nkurenkuru. 

“Yes, the region still doesn’t have an isolation facility; all cases are referred to Rundu,” she said. 

“The Nkurenkuru health centre is still incomplete even after the visit of senior officials from the head office in May this year. However, today, I was briefed that the ministry in the meantime is going to put up a prefabricated building to serve as an isolation centre. I have been informed that the contractor will be on-site by the end of the week,” she noted. 

Ausiku stressed that the Nkurenkuru health centre is prioritised to provide other health-related services to the community.

– jmuyamba@nepc.com.na 

Racing against time… Kavango East and West health director Timeya Ngwira