Namibia’s ministry of Health and Social Services is currently unable to construct a district hospital in Windhoek due to lack of land and the hospital project would be able to accommodate over 800 bed patients due to land scarcity.
Windhoek has over 300 000 residents and only two state hospitals – Katutura and Windhoek Central – that are often overcrowded. These also receive patients referred from the regions. Overcrowding is leading to patients sleeping on floors.
According to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Andrew Ndishishi, the ministry has budgeted for the construction of the district hospital in Windhoek once land becomes available for it.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services has not yet found any land for construction of the district hospital, even after efforts to engage both the regional and local authorities.
Khomas Regional Governor, Laura McLeod-Katjirua expressed his disappointment for failure to get land for the construction of a district hospital in Windhoek, as Ndishishi said that the money will be channeled to other “moving” projects if no land becomes available before next financial year.
She said her office can only facilitate the process of allocating land and not to allocate land.
Saying that the current hospitals are overcrowded, she expressed the urgent need to have another state hospital in the city.
