Acting regional health director for the Kavango East region chief health programme officer Haita Sitareni has raised concerns over Rundu State Hospital’s aging fleet and limited infrastructure.
Speaking during an engagement with the Kavango Traditional Leaders Forum at Rundu on Monday, Sitareni noted that the hospital’s main patient transport bus, which ferries patients to Windhoek, has clocked over 900 000 kilometres and frequently breaks down.
“When it breaks down, we have to make six minibuses available to transport patients, which leads to significantly higher fuel costs,” he said.
Sitareni added that out of the hospital’s nine ambulances, only five are operational, with just three deemed reliable enough for long-distance patient transfers to Windhoek.
He emphasised the urgent need for a new 76-seater bus to safely transport patients and called for a purpose-built mortuary vehicle, noting that the hospital currently uses a modified bakkie with refrigeration.
The hospital is similarly saddled with severe space constraints.
“Our pharmacy is squeezed between the X-ray and casualty departments. Any attempt to expand would infringe on either side,” he explained.
Sitareni noted that the eye clinic is also too small and requires expansion.
He said although the Rundu hospital was upgraded from a regional to an intermediate facility, its budget has not been adjusted to reflect its new status.
In response, Ambunda Traditional Authority chief councillor Dagobert Mukoya has announced that prime minister Elijah Ngurare will visit the region on 12 July, assuring that a platform will be created during the visit to raise all the concerns presented.
