•  December 2000February 2001 Local News Headlines

Friday, February 23, 2001 - Web posted at 6:38:08 AM GMT

We hear you, says Health official

RUNDU - Kavango Regional Governor Sebastiaan Karupu has expressed concern about pay-out points for pensioners in the region.

Karupu told the visiting Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Richard Kamwi this week that some pensioners have to walk up to 10 kilometres from their villages to receive their monthly allowances of N$200.

Karupu said last year Regional Councillors had forwarded proposed new pay-out points at various villages in their constituencies to the company responsible for pension payments, the United Africa Group.

However, nothing had changed and the Ministry of Health needed to look into this matter urgently to help alleviate the plight of the old timers, he urged.

The Governor also said the lack of a mortuary at Nyangana Hospital, about 100 kilometres east of Rundu in the Ndiyona Constituency, was problematic.

He said residents were forced to take the bodies of their beloved ones to the Rundu State mortuary, which many villagers could not afford due to the distance.

Kamwi said that although the responsibility of pension payments had been given to United Africa, it was not his Ministry's policy to let senior citizens walk long distances.

The Deputy Minister promised to convey the message to the responsible Directorate in the Ministry so that they could jointly look into the matter with the company.

On the mortuary issue, Kamwi said it was receiving his attention as the Ministry regarded it as a priority.

Kamwi said Lux Development, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) from Luxembourg which operates in the Kavango, had indicated to his Ministry that it would be a partner in this mortuary project.

However, the Ministry was still awaiting feedback from the NGO.

Kamwi was on a week-long visit to the region, accompanied by a Permanent Committee on Patient Care and Infrastructure Management. - Nampa

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