Patience Makwele
The Medical Association of Namibia (MAN) says it was not consulted on the government’s plan to require senior officials to use public health facilities from 1 April.
The directive, known as Vision April 2026, will see about 294 senior government officials move to public healthcare in its first phase.
Health minister Esperance Luvindao last week said the arrangement is “not complicated” and officials will still be allowed to consult private doctors.
However, the association’s chief executive officer, Dr Armid Azadeh, said doctors were not formally engaged before the announcement.
He said this raises questions about how the policy will be implemented.
The policy aims to strengthen the public health system, but concerns remain about capacity and readiness at state facilities.
Azadeh said Namibia has previously used a similar model.
Private doctors were once allowed to admit and treat patients at Windhoek Central Hospital under designated wards.
“This is not a new concept,” he said.
He said the system declined after changes in medical aid structures more than a decade ago.
Azadeh said reintroducing the model will require a phased approach and improvements in infrastructure, staffing and equipment.
He said many private doctors stopped working in public hospitals due to shortages of equipment and supplies.
“There were growing frustrations previously from those doctors that did operate and admit patients in WCH, as increasingly equipment or consumables such as anaesthetic gases, intra-operative materials, etc., were unavailable or out of commission, and as such, many eventually but reluctantly transitioned to full private practice,” he explained to the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday.
He also raised concerns about infection control and post-operative care.
Azadeh said it is unclear how private doctors will operate within public hospitals under the new directive.
He said formal rental arrangements for consulting rooms are not expected, although specialists have previously used public facilities. Billing and cost recovery are also unresolved.
Azadeh said private doctors could use Namibia Association of Medical Aid Funds’ billing codes.
He said public hospitals will need systems to recover costs linked to the use of facilities, equipment and staff.
He warned that without proper systems, the directive could increase pressure on limited resources.
Azadeh said waiting times in public facilities are already long.
“As it is now, the waiting times at public facilities are very bad,” he said.
He said efforts to reduce congestion are needed.
The association said it supports the goal of improving access to healthcare.
“Without resources being intentionally driven back into the public sector, it will not be possible,” Azadeh said.
He said the success of the policy will depend on governance and how private and public systems are managed.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services did not respond to detailed questions on implementation sent by the Windhoek Observer.
However, in a public statement, the ministry said private doctors will be allowed to treat and admit patients at selected public facilities.
Seven facilities have been identified for the first phase, including Windhoek Central Hospital and Katutura Intermediate Hospital.
The ministry said upgrades to infrastructure, equipment and staffing are underway.
The ministry did not address questions on capacity, operations or billing.
