Namibia’s own Cardiac Unit coming

NAMIBIA is set to open its own fully fledged Cardiac Unit in June this year, the Health Minister Richard Kamwi announced yesterday.

Between 3 000 and 10 000 cardio cases are reported at the Windhoek Central Hospital annually, but the overwhelming majority of these are referred to either South Africa or Kenya, because of the lack of a cardio facility locally. Making the announcement Kamwi said construction of the unit has already started inside an existing ward at the Windhoek Central Hospital.The minister said the huge costs involved in the current referral system and considering the recovery time for travelling patients were the main reasons behind the establishment of an own Cardiac Unit.For example it costs around N$90 000 for a patient per air ambulance.Cabinet made the decision to establish a Cardiac Unit at the Windhoek Central Hospital back in 2002.Kamwi said that currently, the envisaged ward, which is situated on the west wing of the hospital’s first floor, is fully equipped with medical supplies, five Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, 12 incoming beds, monitors, and a catheterisation laboratory (cath lab).Clinical supplies are yet to be acquired.The minister and a senior delegation of officials in the Health Ministry recently returned from a visit to Cape Town, where they visited the Groote Schuur and the Tygerberg hospitals as well as the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Medicine.Kamwi said that following these visits, a working agreement was signed between Namibia and South Africa, whereby the Windhoek Central Hospital’s Cardiac Unit would be twinned with that of Groote Schuur.A team from South Africa is expected to visit the country in April regarding this agreement.It is expected that, once the unit is up and running, Namibia will make use of this cooperation agreement to train its cardiac nurses, technologists and specialist doctors.A needs assessment is currently planned at the Windhoek Central Hospital.Making the announcement Kamwi said construction of the unit has already started inside an existing ward at the Windhoek Central Hospital.The minister said the huge costs involved in the current referral system and considering the recovery time for travelling patients were the main reasons behind the establishment of an own Cardiac Unit.For example it costs around N$90 000 for a patient per air ambulance.Cabinet made the decision to establish a Cardiac Unit at the Windhoek Central Hospital back in 2002.Kamwi said that currently, the envisaged ward, which is situated on the west wing of the hospital’s first floor, is fully equipped with medical supplies, five Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, 12 incoming beds, monitors, and a catheterisation laboratory (cath lab).Clinical supplies are yet to be acquired.The minister and a senior delegation of officials in the Health Ministry recently returned from a visit to Cape Town, where they visited the Groote Schuur and the Tygerberg hospitals as well as the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Medicine.Kamwi said that following these visits, a working agreement was signed between Namibia and South Africa, whereby the Windhoek Central Hospital’s Cardiac Unit would be twinned with that of Groote Schuur.A team from South Africa is expected to visit the country in April regarding this agreement.It is expected that, once the unit is up and running, Namibia will make use of this cooperation agreement to train its cardiac nurses, technologists and specialist doctors.A needs assessment is currently planned at the Windhoek Central Hospital.