Niël Terblanché
Windhoek Central Hospital now hosts the country’s most advanced cardiac care unit, placing the country among the top in Africa for specialised heart treatment.
Only South Africa and Egypt have similar facilities.
Namibia’s unit is the third of its kind on the continent and the first in the country to treat both adults and children under one roof.
Prime minister Elijah Ngurare highlighted the achievement during a visit to the ministry of health and social services on Monday.
He toured the cardiac unit and praised medical teams for serving both public and private patients.
“I urge all of you to strive for excellence and to be selfless in delivering necessary service to the Namibian people. Let us all serve with compassion when rendering service to ensure that every Namibian has confidence and trust in our health system,” he said.
The unit has grown from offering diagnostic services to performing full surgical procedures.
This has reduced the number of costly referrals to hospitals outside the country.
It was established through a mix of government funding, international support, and local expertise. It now handles an increasing number of complex cases.
Ngurare’s visit also included talks with senior health officials.
They discussed ongoing problems like staff shortages, delays in getting medicines, and the challenge of bringing specialised care to remote areas.
He called for clear solutions to address these issues and said new services in Windhoek should reach rural clinics.
Ngurare was joined by the cabinet secretary, Ambassador Emilia Mkusa.
He promised continued support from the treasury and said reliable cardiac care reflects the overall strength of the country’s health system.
