Engela District Hospital has gone three months without condoms, a shortage healthcare officials say is affecting access to sexual and reproductive health services in the Ohangwena region.
The parliamentary standing committee on gender equality, health and social welfare revealed this to the hospital yesterday.
Senior medical officer Lukas Nghaamwa told the committee that the facility, which serves a population of more than 100 000 people, is also facing challenges with teenage and men’s health services due to the absence of dedicated health corners.
He said the shortage has limited contraceptive options available at the hospital.
“The hospital is also facing a critical three-month stock-out of condoms and a lack of adolescent and men’s health corners, which are directly undermining reproductive rights and Sustainable Development Goal targets, leaving only implants and depo injections available as contraceptives,” Nghaamwa said.
According to the committee, a severe shortage of essential medical commodities, particularly life-saving hypertension medications, placing thousands of lives at risk, requires urgent government intervention,” he said.
The hospital provides sexual and reproductive health services, including school outreach programmes, but Nghaamwa said ongoing shortages are placing additional pressure on healthcare workers.
“While we provide vital medical care and conduct school outreaches, especially on sexual and reproductive health, we are currently facing serious systemic challenges,” he said.
Apart from the condom shortage, Nghaamwa told the committee that the hospital is also struggling with shortages of medical officers and pharmacists, an ageing ambulance fleet, and failing infrastructure.
He further raised concerns over shortages of essential medical commodities, including medication used by patients suffering from hypertension.
“We have a severe shortage of essential medical commodities, particularly life-saving hypertension medication, and this requires urgent government intervention,” Nghaamwa said.
The parliamentary committee will be in the Ohangwena region until Friday as part of an assessment of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and HIV and gender-based violence services at healthcare facilities in the Ohangwena and Omusati regions.
The committee is focusing on teenage health, contraception services and the general state of hospitals and clinics in the two regions.
Earlier this month, New Era reported that the health ministry finally has enough stock available to meet demand across the country.
Speaking to the publication, deputy minister of health and social services Susan Ndjaleka assured healthcare workers that sufficient supplies had now been distributed.
“The responsibility now rests with healthcare facilities to ensure condoms are made available in all relevant departments so that members of the public can access them without difficulty,” she said.
Ndjaleka urged healthcare workers to ensure condoms are easily accessible to communities, saying availability at facilities is only effective if the supplies reach the people who need them.
