Minister of health and social services Esperance Luvindao has announced plans to revolutionise the country’s emergency care system by introducing smart ambulances powered by 5G connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality.
Luvindao made the announcement in Windhoek yesterday during the commissioning of 36 new ambulances worth N$32 million.
“The ministry will soon start looking at the possibility of procuring smart ambulances with a variety of technologies, such as 5G connected ambulances which will enable specially designed ambulances to transmit real-time patient data to hospitals, allowing doctors to assess and guide paramedics remotely,” Luvindao said.
She explained that AI-assisted emergency care could help with diagnostics, medication dispensing, and patient monitoring while en route to medical facilities.
Luvindao said the current model of allocating ambulances to individual health facilities is no longer effective.
With over 360 health facilities across the country, she said a new approach is needed.
She announced plans to establish medical emergency response centres in each of the 14 regions. These centres will be staffed by trained emergency care practitioners and will coordinate emergency services at a regional level.
“Technology will make it possible for a specialist in Windhoek to walk a paramedic through a life-saving procedure at Outapi. This isn’t science fiction. It’s within our reach. Smart ambulances are no longer a luxury. They are a necessity for an equitable and responsive healthcare system,” she adds.
Luvindao said the implementation of these technologies will be done in phases, and she cautioned the public to not expect results overnight. She also questioned the need for long-distance transfers between hospitals, such as between Katima Mulilo and Rundu, and called for investment in local health infrastructure.
“Why are patients having to move in the first place? We need to decentralise and empower local facilities with staff, equipment and systems to provide care where people live,” she said.
Beyond the technological upgrades, the ministry is also considering partnerships with private ambulance service providers and the use of air ambulances during natural disasters and for patients in remote locations.
These interventions, Luvindao said, are vital for ensuring that no Namibian dies due to delayed or inaccessible emergency care.
According to emergency care technician Karien Thierauch, the new ambulances will improve response times and enhance the quality of care provided to patients.
Thierauch says the additional vehicles are expected to relieve pressures on existing resources and support efforts, addressing long-standing transport and staffing challenges in the health sector.
The ambulances come three months after the ministry announced it had acquired 23 vehicles specifically for conversion into ambulances.
The vehicles include 11 vans and six sport utility vehicles, of which four were donated by the World Health Organisation. Last year the ministry was operating with 96 functional ambulances nationwide.
In 2018 the government placed a moratorium on vehicle procurement to control expenditure.
Sean Naude of the Namibian Marshall Rangers says implementing high-tech emergency response systems such as smart ambulances is not economically viable for Namibia.
“It’s not going to work in a country where we don’t have networks and we don’t have systems in place to support GPS coordinates and functions,” he says.
Naude says the cost of such electronic infrastructure, along with its maintenance, would be exorbitant and unrealistic given the country’s current technological limitations.
“The electronics and everything involved in this are going to be way too costly. It’s also going to deprive people of jobs,” he says.
He raises concerns about public trust and the accessibility of tech-based emergency systems.
“It’s going to cause confusion and could result in people not being able to get the help they need,” Naude adds.
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