Ongwediva private hospital up and running

THE new Ongwediva Medi Park hospital is now fully operational and the demand for its services is high, says the hospital’s Managing Director, Dr Tshali Iithete.

The construction of the private hospital started in October 2005 after securing financing, including N$17,9 million from Old Mutual Namibia’s Medina Fund. “We would like to thank Old Mutual Namibia for having made such a great commitment towards the health of our people, ” Iithete told a press conference last week.To date, the total investment in Medi Park was N$32 million, he said.”We could clearly see from the demand that a facility of this nature has been long overdue,” said Iithete.Iithete noted that several surgeons have been using the operating theatre, while general practitioners and specialists have admitted patients to the hospital since November last year.The first baby was delivered in the new hospital on November 21.The Ongwediva Medi Park also has an emergency room where a doctor is on call around the clock.Together with the emergency service E-Med, the hospital offers an invaluable service in the treatment of road accident victims in the North.Other facilities at Medi Park will include doctors’ consulting rooms, laboratories and a pharmacy.The second phase of construction, which includes the consulting rooms, will be completed by the end of April, Dr Iithete said.The main challenge now was to get all the departments fully equipped and to expand the hospital’s capacity from 50 beds to 70 and eventually 120 beds, he said.”We needed to consolidate [our staff’s] diverse background of skills, because some of our nurses and doctors came from other private institutions and others from the State [health service].We have had four months’ operation now and can confidently state that even after such a short period, our staff has been moulded into an efficient and formidable team, ” Iithete said.The hospital caters mainly for private patients, with or without medical aid fund membership.”We are receiving many enquiries with regard to members of the Government Medical Aid Scheme, and with authorisation from the Ministry of Finance we have been seeing such patients as well, in instances when the facilities at State hospitals are full or unable to cater for a particular need, such as in emergencies,” he said”We would like to thank Old Mutual Namibia for having made such a great commitment towards the health of our people, ” Iithete told a press conference last week.To date, the total investment in Medi Park was N$32 million, he said.”We could clearly see from the demand that a facility of this nature has been long overdue,” said Iithete.Iithete noted that several surgeons have been using the operating theatre, while general practitioners and specialists have admitted patients to the hospital since November last year.The first baby was delivered in the new hospital on November 21.The Ongwediva Medi Park also has an emergency room where a doctor is on call around the clock.Together with the emergency service E-Med, the hospital offers an invaluable service in the treatment of road accident victims in the North.Other facilities at Medi Park will include doctors’ consulting rooms, laboratories and a pharmacy.The second phase of construction, which includes the consulting rooms, will be completed by the end of April, Dr Iithete said.The main challenge now was to get all the departments fully equipped and to expand the hospital’s capacity from 50 beds to 70 and eventually 120 beds, he said.”We needed to consolidate [our staff’s] diverse background of skills, because some of our nurses and doctors came from other private institutions and others from the State [health service].We have had four months’ operation now and can confidently state that even after such a short period, our staff has been moulded into an efficient and formidable team, ” Iithete said.The hospital caters mainly for private patients, with or without medical aid fund membership.”We are receiving many enquiries with regard to members of the Government Medical Aid Scheme, and with authorisation from the Ministry of Finance we have been seeing such patients as well, in instances when the facilities at State hospitals are full or unable to cater for a particular need, such as in emergencies,” he said