N$30m clinic without nurses
A shortage of nurses in the country – in part due to many unemployed healthcare workers being deployed in the fight against Covid-19 – means the Nkurenkuru Primary Healthcare Clinic in Kavango West Region remains non-operational, despite a massive N$30 million investment into the facility.
The clinic, which was constructed since 2012, has yet to open its doors, despite being ready for use.
The facility, which enjoyed its fair share of media reports since 2014 as contractors abandoned the project, has for years has been standing idle due to a lack of human resources, the health ministry claimed.
This was confirmed by both Kavango West health director Fransiska Hamutenya and health ministry executive director, Ben Nangombe, who told Namibian Sun that the shortage of nurses is the root cause of the clinic not being operational.
According to Hamutenya, the regional health directorate is also experiencing a shortage of personnel, saying they are trying to fill vacancies at a regional level who are then relayed to staff the clinic.
As far as when the clinic will finally open its doors, she said she could not say.
“Yes, I can confirm that the construction process of the clinic has been concluded and the building handed over to the directorate,” she said.
“Human resources remain a challenge. The clinic doesn't have a structure of its own and at the moment and we are looking at ways to fill existing vacancies on the directorate staff establishment and possibly place some of the staff members at the clinic to get it functional.
“As to by when, we can't say exactly. We have a shortage of nurses on the market and only a handful is filled on the directorate's establishment.”
Surprisingly, the directorate is struggling to find nurses despite there being an existing health training centre in the region. Hamutenya said those graduates are absorbed elsewhere.
Shortage of nurses
On the issue of the shortage of nurses, Nangombe said it is not only experienced in Namibia. He added that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic - when more manpower was sought as well as when some nurses died due to the virus - is a contributing factor for the shortage.
He, however, added that the ministry is looking forward to new nurses being registered with the Health Professions Council of Namibia upon completion of their studies.
“Yes, there is a shortage of nurses in the country but we have advertised for the recruitment,” he said.
“The shortages are there. I mean, the staff compliment of the health centre would have a mixture of nurses, some experienced and other not so experienced. We know for example those nurses who are graduating are waiting to be registered and we will recruit them.”
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The clinic, which was constructed since 2012, has yet to open its doors, despite being ready for use.
The facility, which enjoyed its fair share of media reports since 2014 as contractors abandoned the project, has for years has been standing idle due to a lack of human resources, the health ministry claimed.
This was confirmed by both Kavango West health director Fransiska Hamutenya and health ministry executive director, Ben Nangombe, who told Namibian Sun that the shortage of nurses is the root cause of the clinic not being operational.
According to Hamutenya, the regional health directorate is also experiencing a shortage of personnel, saying they are trying to fill vacancies at a regional level who are then relayed to staff the clinic.
As far as when the clinic will finally open its doors, she said she could not say.
“Yes, I can confirm that the construction process of the clinic has been concluded and the building handed over to the directorate,” she said.
“Human resources remain a challenge. The clinic doesn't have a structure of its own and at the moment and we are looking at ways to fill existing vacancies on the directorate staff establishment and possibly place some of the staff members at the clinic to get it functional.
“As to by when, we can't say exactly. We have a shortage of nurses on the market and only a handful is filled on the directorate's establishment.”
Surprisingly, the directorate is struggling to find nurses despite there being an existing health training centre in the region. Hamutenya said those graduates are absorbed elsewhere.
Shortage of nurses
On the issue of the shortage of nurses, Nangombe said it is not only experienced in Namibia. He added that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic - when more manpower was sought as well as when some nurses died due to the virus - is a contributing factor for the shortage.
He, however, added that the ministry is looking forward to new nurses being registered with the Health Professions Council of Namibia upon completion of their studies.
“Yes, there is a shortage of nurses in the country but we have advertised for the recruitment,” he said.
“The shortages are there. I mean, the staff compliment of the health centre would have a mixture of nurses, some experienced and other not so experienced. We know for example those nurses who are graduating are waiting to be registered and we will recruit them.”
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