Groot Aub appeals for better healthcare

RESIDENTS of Groot Aub say they are in need of an ambulance to service the area and have also appealed to the government for contraceptives.

They say they are also struggling with a high teenage pregnancy rate.

“If you walk around this community, you will notice a child carrying another child. Teenagers have babies, and many of them have dropped out of school,” says resident Piet Adams.

“Our clinic is dominated by nurses. We only have doctors who are not permanent. So many people's sickness has deteriorated in the process of waiting for a doctor or an ambulance,” he says.

Adams says the condition of his mother, who has suffered a stroke and is partially disabled, has worsened because she was not treated on time.

“If there was a medical doctor to look at her as soon as the stroke hit her, it wouldn't have made her as paralysed as she is today,” he says.

Another resident, Magdalena Kruger (63), says she has been living with the after-effects of a stroke for more than 10 years, and has fainted many times while waiting for the clinic's ambulance.

“The nurses at our clinic are very friendly, and I appreciate them. They inject me to ease the pain while we wait forw an ambulance to take me to Katutura State Hospital in Windhoek,” she says.

Kruger believes her condition will worsen, because the community is neglected.

Resident Hendrina Brandt (59) says many teenagers in the community are parents because there is a shortage of contraceptives in the area.

“We cannot stop them from having sex, but if they are provided with contraceptives it would help reduce unwanted pregnancies,” she says.

Ministry of Health and Social Services senior health programme officer Tuwilika Kamati says the ministry has a mandate that calls upon the state to ensure that citizens have fair accessibility to public healthcare facilities and services.

“When it comes to family planning or contraceptives the ministry has a national policy on sexual reproductive and child healthcare.

“The policy also states that people who are sexually active should access family planning of their choice.”

Kamati confirmed that the health ministry has run out of contraceptives in the past.

“It is true that the ministry has run out of contraceptives due to logistical issues following the Covid-19 pandemic. That is all I can say for now,” she said.

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