Mission accomplished: Kamwi
Namibia is now producing its own doctors, pharmacists and nurses, largely thanks to the determination of former health minister Richard Kamwi.
Former health minister Richard Kamwi, who has fought tooth and nail for training registered nurses in Namibia, says the healthcare sector has come full circle.
Namibia making a serious effort to provide jobs to the first batch of 200 locally trained registered nurses who are graduating today.
Kamwi, driven by a chronic shortage of nurses, launched the three-year registered nurses training course at Keetmanshoop on the last day of 2014 after numerous postponements.
The training has since been extended to Rundu and Windhoek.
“I can now finally have peaceful sleep. I still recall it was like a song, the shortage of nurses was like a rhyme which I recited every time,” an emotional Kamwi said yesterday.
“But we must thank the former president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, who pushed and guided me to make sure this happens. I remain extremely grateful today to that so many nurses will graduate,” he said.
Kamwi, who had encountered numerous obstacles, eventually poured out his heart to Pohamba, pleading for an intervention to make the training programme a reality. He said it was worth the fight.
He said the graduation of these nurses was symbolic of the independence people fought for, which included the opportunity to take care of themselves. Kamwi was also the proponent of the Unam Medical School, which has produced the country's first home-grown doctors and pharmacists.
“The combination of these three professions is the backbone of the health and wellbeing of any nation. Namibia will never achieve the objectives of Vision 2030 unless the nation is in good health. No production will be realised if fellow Namibians are not healthy,” Kamwi said. Kamwi, who has had countless sleepless nights over the staff shortage in the health ministry, urged Namibian nurses to cherish their work.
“My only plea to them is to honour the Florence Nightingale oath and to deliver on it to the letter of their profession.”
He further commended the current health minister, Bernard Haufiku, and his team for a job well done.
JEMIMA BEUKES
Namibia making a serious effort to provide jobs to the first batch of 200 locally trained registered nurses who are graduating today.
Kamwi, driven by a chronic shortage of nurses, launched the three-year registered nurses training course at Keetmanshoop on the last day of 2014 after numerous postponements.
The training has since been extended to Rundu and Windhoek.
“I can now finally have peaceful sleep. I still recall it was like a song, the shortage of nurses was like a rhyme which I recited every time,” an emotional Kamwi said yesterday.
“But we must thank the former president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, who pushed and guided me to make sure this happens. I remain extremely grateful today to that so many nurses will graduate,” he said.
Kamwi, who had encountered numerous obstacles, eventually poured out his heart to Pohamba, pleading for an intervention to make the training programme a reality. He said it was worth the fight.
He said the graduation of these nurses was symbolic of the independence people fought for, which included the opportunity to take care of themselves. Kamwi was also the proponent of the Unam Medical School, which has produced the country's first home-grown doctors and pharmacists.
“The combination of these three professions is the backbone of the health and wellbeing of any nation. Namibia will never achieve the objectives of Vision 2030 unless the nation is in good health. No production will be realised if fellow Namibians are not healthy,” Kamwi said. Kamwi, who has had countless sleepless nights over the staff shortage in the health ministry, urged Namibian nurses to cherish their work.
“My only plea to them is to honour the Florence Nightingale oath and to deliver on it to the letter of their profession.”
He further commended the current health minister, Bernard Haufiku, and his team for a job well done.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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