Niël Terblanché
The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Esperance Luvindao, warned underperforming employees that their days are numbered.
She said the health ministry will no longer tolerate individuals who fail to meet their responsibilities while continuing to draw salaries.
Speaking during a recent courtesy meeting with the Public Service Commission (PSC), Luvindao said, “We are hired with terms of reference, and these must be clearly understood to hold people accountable.”
The meeting allowed the health minister to engage with PSC officials led by chairperson Salmaan Jacobs.
She received a briefing on the commission’s mandate and functions, especially in human resources and recruitment within the public service.
Luvindao stressed that strict adherence to public service staff rules regarding misconduct is essential to maintaining effective service delivery in the health sector.
She called on the PSC to support the ministry’s efforts to strengthen discipline and improve accountability.
“It must be clear that where employees are not performing, we will take the necessary measures to address this,” she said, referring to departments with ongoing disciplinary challenges.
Luvindao pointed out that it requires better collaboration between the ministry and the commission to fill key positions, especially doctors and nurses, to meet growing demands on the healthcare system.
“The ministry cannot substitute critical roles such as doctors and nurses, and we rely heavily on the support of the Public Service Commission to ensure that these posts are filled effectively,” she said.
Luvindao said the ministry is working on new ways to attract more health workers and improve service delivery across Namibia.
She said delivering healthcare to all Namibians requires a dedicated and competent workforce and that the days of slack performance within the health ministry are numbered.
