‘My Health Is My Private Affair’
DEAR Dr Abraham Iyambo, When you uttered those words you forgot you are a cabinet minister, a person in the limelight. In fact, you are probably the most important minister in the Namibian cabinet. This is so because you bear the responsibility for our children and youth on your shoulders, shoulders that should be strong and healthy enough to bear this enormous burden.
Our children and youth are the very future of this country; Namibia thus needs a healthy Minister of Education. Therefore, your health has to be indeed our concern; your health is of common interest and you should answer the questions about your health properly, you should not avoid these questions. No one at the rank of a minister should.
But going to Cuba for a complete check-up of your health raises other questions too. It raises questions about our Namibian health system and . . . it answers these questions at the same time. If you have to go for a mere check-up to Cuba, what should the Namibian citizen then do who is seriously sick. He or she who may be in need of intensive medical attention, professional care and an operation has to trust the very system that is not even able to do a proper check-up. A system in which you do not trust. Who would expect us Namibians to trust such a system, which finds no trust by its caretakers, members of cabinet It is expensive to fly to Cuba – one cannot swim to Cuba – and the service there is not free. What do you suggest I do. My health is my private business, yes, but the health care system of Namibian state is not a private system, it is public.
The one under the government is partly rotten – a fact the nation and you know very well – and the private one somewhat first class, but then it is so expensive that only a very few can afford it and therefore it may be cheaper to fly to Cuba instead. ‘Medical expenses of N$120000 - within 24 hours’, did you read that report in The Namibian of 18 January Do you understand the consequences of that. You certainly did and that was the reason you went to Cuba! Minister Iyambo, I am in need of a proper, affordable health system, and so are the majority of Namibians! Please Namibians, let us discuss this matter publicly and please, let us involve in the discussion the Minister of Education, too, because he has first-hand experience!
Robertiene Sarah Kleinhans
Windhoek