Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula

04 Feb

No plans for ivermectin COVID-19 treatment

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Staff Reporter The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) has no plans to use the ivermectin drug, stating that there is not enough evidence to its effectiveness. The drug was approved for limited use by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, and by the Zimbabwean government. “In Namibia it is not registered for human use. There is always excitement when any drug is believed to be beneficial in treating COVID-19. We are familiar with the history of hydroxychloroquine. There was hype about it and many others and Ivermectin is just joining the long list of those types of…

25 Sep

Govt gazettes new regulations

ObserverObserver MoneyHealth Minister Kalumbi Shangula

Andrew Kathindi New regulations that will guide how Namibians will live under the new normal have finally been gazetted, following the lapse of the state of emergency, last week. Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula will now be empowered under Section 29 of the Public and Environmental Act to implement regulations which were initially set to come into effect on the 18th of September. “The drafting of the Regulations took longer than anticipated due to the nature and number of legal issues that requires thorough consideration,” Attorney General, Festus Bandeka told Windhoek Observer. The new regulations came into operation at midnight on…

05 Sep

Govt dithers on health workers risk allowance

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula, Medical Association of Namibia (MAN)

Helena Johannes There has been no movement on the implementation of the risk allowance for healthcare workers at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, Chief Executive at the Medical Association of Namibia (MAN) Dr Armid Azadel has revealed. This comes after health minister Kalumbi Shangula revealed this week that there is an increase in the number of health workers infected with Covid-19. “Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have recorded a total number of 333 Health Workers infected with COVID-19. We noticed that the number of health workers infected is high in areas with high burden of confirmed cases…

02 Sep

Health Ministry dismisses Remdesivir concerns …orders second batch

ObserverObserver MoneyHealth Minister Kalumbi Shangula, Remdesivir

Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has placed a second order for a batch of Remdesivir, the antiviral medicine being used worldwide to treat COVID-19 patients despite growing debate over the safety and efficiency of the medication. This comes after the ministry has spent N$1 million for 1,000 vials for the first batch that came into the country last week. Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula confirmed that the medicine is already being prescribed to patients as it has been shown to shorten the recovery time in patients. “The medicine is part of our essential medicines and will…

25 Aug

Corona disrupts RDP corruption investigations

ObserverObserver MoneyHealth Minister Kalumbi Shangula, Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP)

Andrew Kathindi President of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) Mike Kavekotora has said that the party’s internal investigations of party members Brunhilde Cornelius and Nicanor Ndjoze, who are fingered in bribery allegations, have been disrupted by the recently imposed travel restrictions in Windhoek. Last month, Cornelius, who is the RDP Secretary General and City of Windhoek (CoW) councilor, claimed in a report by Al Jazeera that Ndjoze, RDP’s secretary for transport had offered her a bribe so that she would not oppose a 5G partnership between the City of Windhoek and Chinese mobile giant Huawei. “We have asked…

13 Aug

Robert Mugabe Clinic overwhelmed . . . as Windhoek’s expanded testing still to roll out

ObserverObserver MoneyBen Nangombe, Health Executive Director, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula, Robert Mugabe Clinic

Andrew Kathindi Government is yet to implement its expanded testing organized program in Windhoek, which has led to long lines at the Robert Mugabe Clinic where swabs are collected for the general public that has no private insurance. This comes nearly a week after Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula raised concerns over rising cases in the capital city, as 152 cases were recorded this week in Windhoek within two days as community transmission without known contact traces becomes prevalent. Health Executive Director, Ben Nangombe said the Ministry will create more spaces for people to be able to be swabbed so that…

07 Aug

‘Quarantine’ details for tourists emerge

ObserverObserver MoneyHealth Minister Kalumbi Shangula, Namibia, president Hage Geingob

Andrew Kathindi It has emerged that tourists coming to Namibia as part of government’s initiative to rescue the country’s tourism sector will still be subjected to a seven days quarantine period, despite government’s reluctance to phrase it as such, Windhoek Observer has learned. This comes after President Hage Geingob had said that tourists coming to Namibia will be exempted to a mandatory quarantine period but will need to remain at their first destination in the country for seven days. However, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula told this reporter on Thursday that tourists in the first seven days’ period, will not be…

04 Aug

I regret nothing – Haufiku

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Dr Bernard Haufiku, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula

Andrew Kathindi Dr Bernard Haufiku maintains that he regrets nothing, after being fired as Special Advisor on Health Matters in the Office of the Vice President by President Hage Geingob. This as it emerged Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula had written to the President requesting for Haufiku’s removal from the national COVID-19 response team on the grounds that his presence had become untenable and that he was too self-righteous and not a team player and as a result has become impossible to work with. According to Haufiku in one of his dismissal letter attachments delivered to him by Vice President Nangolo…

01 Jul

UN advisor forecast 14,000 cases for Namibia

ObserverObserver MoneyAlladji Osseni, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula, UNAIDS Senior Strategic Information Adviser

...as 80 cases are recorded in one day Andrew Kathindi A United Nations official has warned that rising Covid-19 cases could reach 700 for the Erongo region alone and 14,000 countrywide if things continue as they are. This comes as Namibia recorded its highest number of positive COVID-19 cases in a single day with 80 new cases announced on Wednesday by Health minister Kalumbi Shangula. Currently, Walvis Bay has seen the highest number of cases, however, in recent days; cases have begun to pop up in Oshana, Zambezi, Hardap and //Karas, some without an identified contact case. “Data shows with…

19 Jun

Rising cases won’t determine lock down status – Shangula

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Erongo, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula, lockdown

Andrew Kathindi With the two week lockdown in Erongo region set to end on 22 June and cases rising almost daily, Health minister Kalumbi Shangula says the extension or lifting of the stage 1 lockdown will not be determined by the rising cases. “We don’t take a decision based one or two cases. We take the totality of the factors into consideration, epidemiological, public health, economical, then we take the sum total and make a decision. There are many factors being taken into consideration, not just the number of cases. The public will know before the expiry of the deadline,”…