Complaints halt hospital construction
The Ministry of Health and Social Services has halted the fencing of an area earmarked for a mental hospital after it was accused of grabbing land at Nankudu village in the Kavango West Region.
The area had included a number of homesteads.
The plans for a hospital for mental patients, which was to be built on the same premises at the Nankudu District Hospital, were not welcomed by the community.
Residents expressed anger with the health ministry after it gave the green light to a contractor to start building the hospital without their approval. Part of the work included fencing off the Nankudu District Hospital, which led to some homesteads being enclosed.
The residents were angry because they hadn't been told whether the owners of the homesteads enclosed by the fence would be compensated.
The community members said they were not opposed to the construction of the mental hospital but they were against the construction happening without their consent, which made them feel excluded.
They argued that the region needed a referral hospital and suggested that the Nankudu District Hospital should be upgraded instead of building a mental hospital.
“We are not against the construction of the mental hospital but the ministry must know that ever since the Kavango Region was split, we don't have a referral hospital. Why don't they just upgrade Nankudu District Hospital?” a community member asked.
The last time the community was consulted on the construction of the mental hospital was on 7 May 2015 at a meeting where the environmental management plan was discussed.
At that meeting the affected community strongly opposed the proposal. The ministry was supposed to look into their objections and give feedback, but they say that did not happen. Instead the community learned that a tender had been advertised in the newspapers.
Namibian Sun was informed that the tender was awarded to Mafanikio Investment.
The community of Nankudu wanted to stage a protest on Saturday but they cancelled it after receiving a letter informing them that the process had been halted.
The 30 January letter to Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku was signed by health minister Bernhard Haufiku and said the fencing process was on hold pending further consultations with all stakeholders.
The permanent secretary in the ministry, Andreas Mwoombola, will lead a delegation to Kavango West soon to talk to the community through their elected and traditional leaders.
“The date of the visit will be communicated to you by the permanent secretary during the course of the week,” the letter concluded.
In an open letter to Ausiku dated 2 February, the community claimed that the tender process did not follow procedure. They further claimed that the environmental impact assessment report was not shared for comment with the affected residents.
They also blamed the regional council and the governor of failing to protect the rights of Nankudu residents.
KENYA KAMBOWE
The area had included a number of homesteads.
The plans for a hospital for mental patients, which was to be built on the same premises at the Nankudu District Hospital, were not welcomed by the community.
Residents expressed anger with the health ministry after it gave the green light to a contractor to start building the hospital without their approval. Part of the work included fencing off the Nankudu District Hospital, which led to some homesteads being enclosed.
The residents were angry because they hadn't been told whether the owners of the homesteads enclosed by the fence would be compensated.
The community members said they were not opposed to the construction of the mental hospital but they were against the construction happening without their consent, which made them feel excluded.
They argued that the region needed a referral hospital and suggested that the Nankudu District Hospital should be upgraded instead of building a mental hospital.
“We are not against the construction of the mental hospital but the ministry must know that ever since the Kavango Region was split, we don't have a referral hospital. Why don't they just upgrade Nankudu District Hospital?” a community member asked.
The last time the community was consulted on the construction of the mental hospital was on 7 May 2015 at a meeting where the environmental management plan was discussed.
At that meeting the affected community strongly opposed the proposal. The ministry was supposed to look into their objections and give feedback, but they say that did not happen. Instead the community learned that a tender had been advertised in the newspapers.
Namibian Sun was informed that the tender was awarded to Mafanikio Investment.
The community of Nankudu wanted to stage a protest on Saturday but they cancelled it after receiving a letter informing them that the process had been halted.
The 30 January letter to Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku was signed by health minister Bernhard Haufiku and said the fencing process was on hold pending further consultations with all stakeholders.
The permanent secretary in the ministry, Andreas Mwoombola, will lead a delegation to Kavango West soon to talk to the community through their elected and traditional leaders.
“The date of the visit will be communicated to you by the permanent secretary during the course of the week,” the letter concluded.
In an open letter to Ausiku dated 2 February, the community claimed that the tender process did not follow procedure. They further claimed that the environmental impact assessment report was not shared for comment with the affected residents.
They also blamed the regional council and the governor of failing to protect the rights of Nankudu residents.
KENYA KAMBOWE
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article