Makeshift bridge connects Engela

THE Engela District Hospital has again been linked with the rest of the country through a makeshift pedestrian bridge after it was cut-off at the end of last week.

The bridge, an idea of an Oshikango businessman, was constructed with the help of other entrepreneurs and community members in and around the town. Pakistani businessman, Saeed Muhammed, the owner of Fatima Plastics at Oshikango, came up with an idea to design and construct a temporary bridge of planks and strong iron.This bridge is 19 metres long.Muhammed told The Namibian at Engela on Monday that he sold his idea to other Pakistani business people at Oshikango, who responded positively.According to Muhammed, he used his own planks and steel reels to construct the bridge with the help of some community members.”This really helped members of the community and the hospital staff to again go to Engela hospital to work and to visit the sick ones,” Muhammed said.He encouraged the community not to rely only on Government assistance.The Director of Health and Social Services in Ohangwena Region Kaino Pohamba said although the makeshift bridge can only be used by pedestrians, its a big help to all those who need to go for treatment at the hospital and those who want to visit their sick ones.”This is really a very good gesture from these people, to build such a simple bridge but very important one, to all of us,” Pohamba said.She told The Namibian that they have also received big assistance from the Namibian Defence Force, who provided them with a helicopter, which is used for the transportation of medicine and other medical equipment and material to cut off clinics, Health Centres and communities.She said they helicopter is also used to transport seriously ill patients to the ambulances at Ohangwena Town Clinic to take them to Oshakati State Hospital.Pakistani businessman, Saeed Muhammed, the owner of Fatima Plastics at Oshikango, came up with an idea to design and construct a temporary bridge of planks and strong iron.This bridge is 19 metres long.Muhammed told The Namibian at Engela on Monday that he sold his idea to other Pakistani business people at Oshikango, who responded positively.According to Muhammed, he used his own planks and steel reels to construct the bridge with the help of some community members.”This really helped members of the community and the hospital staff to again go to Engela hospital to work and to visit the sick ones,” Muhammed said.He encouraged the community not to rely only on Government assistance.The Director of Health and Social Services in Ohangwena Region Kaino Pohamba said although the makeshift bridge can only be used by pedestrians, its a big help to all those who need to go for treatment at the hospital and those who want to visit their sick ones.”This is really a very good gesture from these people, to build such a simple bridge but very important one, to all of us,” Pohamba said.She told The Namibian that they have also received big assistance from the Namibian Defence Force, who provided them with a helicopter, which is used for the transportation of medicine and other medical equipment and material to cut off clinics, Health Centres and communities.She said they helicopter is also used to transport seriously ill patients to the ambulances at Ohangwena Town Clinic to take them to Oshakati State Hospital.