Cardiac centre to open soon

THE Health and Social Services Ministry says it is only waiting for the arrival of equipment from Spain before it opens its own cardiac unit at the Windhoek Central Hospital.

Responding to a question from Deputy Prime Minister Hendrik Witbooi in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Health Minister Libertina Amathila said the unit was not yet in operation – contrary to reports. “Don’t listen to [Katuutire] Kaura’s hallucinations that the unit is open,” she cautioned.Witbooi said that as a cardiac patient himself, he was curious to know whether staff earmarked to serve in the unit were effectively trained and capable of fulfilling their responsibilities.”You don’t go to any general practitioner [when you have a heart condition],” he told the House with concern.Amathila informed MPs that to date at least 12 nurses had been trained to work in the proposed cardiac unit.Namibia’s heart patients, she said, were still being treated in Kenya in the interim.According to the Minister, this arrangement had proved “very, very successful”.She said at least 40 people had undergone treatment in that country since mid-last year.”I don’t want to be racist but we have even operated on a white guy… and he’s well,” she added.Amathila said she was aware of people reportedly having said they would refuse to undergo heart surgery at the hands of black medical staff.She said all patients, with the exception of one who had undergone cardiac treatment in Kenya, had recovered well.The exception was an old woman who had recovered from heart surgery.She had died months later of other complications, Amathila said, Government announced two years ago that it planned to open a cardiac unit in Windhoek, at a cost of about N$25 million, to cut out the escalating costs of transporting patients to Cape Town for treatment.According to Amathila, heart operations in Kenya cost the State about N$100 000 per patient.”Don’t listen to [Katuutire] Kaura’s hallucinations that the unit is open,” she cautioned.Witbooi said that as a cardiac patient himself, he was curious to know whether staff earmarked to serve in the unit were effectively trained and capable of fulfilling their responsibilities.”You don’t go to any general practitioner [when you have a heart condition],” he told the House with concern.Amathila informed MPs that to date at least 12 nurses had been trained to work in the proposed cardiac unit.Namibia’s heart patients, she said, were still being treated in Kenya in the interim.According to the Minister, this arrangement had proved “very, very successful”.She said at least 40 people had undergone treatment in that country since mid-last year.”I don’t want to be racist but we have even operated on a white guy… and he’s well,” she added.Amathila said she was aware of people reportedly having said they would refuse to undergo heart surgery at the hands of black medical staff.She said all patients, with the exception of one who had undergone cardiac treatment in Kenya, had recovered well.The exception was an old woman who had recovered from heart surgery.She had died months later of other complications, Amathila said, Government announced two years ago that it planned to open a cardiac unit in Windhoek, at a cost of about N$25 million, to cut out the escalating costs of transporting patients to Cape Town for treatment.According to Amathila, heart operations in Kenya cost the State about N$100 000 per patient.