Mercs And Mothers...
OVER the past couple of weeks two stories made the headlines in the media. On Wednesday, 10 April, the good citizens of this country were informed of our government’s intention to acquire a fleet of top of the range Mercedes Benzes for our ministers.
My count of ministers sitting in the Cabinet amounts to 23, not counting the deputies. With a price tag of no less than N$1,2 million per unit, the Namibian tax payer can expect a financial nosebleed amounting to a whopping N$27 600 000 if my rudimentary calculations are correct!
Come Friday 12 April, a mere two days after the Mercs-for-ministers story, and we are reminded of the abyssmal state of the maternity wards at our country’s two biggest (therefore most illustrious) state-run health facilities.
According to The Namibian the maternity ward at Katutura hospital has been without perhaps your-most basic of resources, water, for six weeks. The newspaper report stated that doctors were using buckets to provide water to patients in the maternity ward. We were also informed that no records have been kept in the maternity wards at these hospitals since January.
Now, correct me if I am wrong. The United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (which our state endorsed freely and without any coercion) talk about reducing child mortality rates and improving maternal health and reducing maternal deaths. With a litany of shortages experienced in the maternity wards of these two hospitals, ranging from shortages of medical booklets (in which patient records are kept) electricity outages in the theatres where operations are carried out to blocked drains and toilets infecting and polluting the environment (apparently doctors are contracting plumbers themselves) we fail to see our government’s commitment to the health and well-being of women in this country.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Andrew Ndishishi, admitted the state of deterioration in these wards. Strangely enough though, he is blaming (building) consultants and contractors for the sorry state of affairs. How is this even possible?
With the considerable commitment that our state is making in providing a comfortable, clean and healthy ride for ministers of this country, perhaps one of the public demands should be that pregnant women be referred to the state garages if we want a semblance of maternal health and reduce maternal and child mortality rate in this country!
Laura Sasman
Windhoek