Kalumbi Shangula

Vaccine arrival delayed again

Vaccine arrival delayed again

Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has bemoaned the delay in the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines which it purchased through the COVAX Facility. This comes as the latest communication from the Facility coordinators, which came last week, stated that the vaccines will only arrive in the country in the next three weeks. This is the third time that the vaccine arrival date has been announced, after an email in January from the COVAX Facility, had informed MoHSS Minister, Kalumbi Shangula, that the vaccine would arrive in mid or end of February, and later shifted to…
Read More
COVID-19 jab not compulsory – Shangula …. Essential services workers react

COVID-19 jab not compulsory – Shangula …. Essential services workers react

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri, Maria Hamutenya and Andrew Kathindi MINISTER of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula says no one, including members of the uniformed forces, will be forced to take the COVID-19 vaccine. This comes as the country on Friday began its roll-out of the Chinese manufactured Sinopharm vaccine, which arrived in Namibia earlier this week. “People who are live in closed settings like people in prisons, police cells, and school hostels are the ones we want to target in phase-one, but eventually everyone will have a chance to be vaccinated. The vaccine is voluntary. If you don’t want it, no…
Read More
Shangula rules out relaxing Covid-19 regulations

Shangula rules out relaxing Covid-19 regulations

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Health and Social Services Minister, Kalumbi Shangula, says Namibia will not be relaxing its COVID-19 regulations despite the arrival of the country’s first batch of vaccines and the beginning of its inoculation role out schedule for Friday. “No, it will not be relaxed. We will still continue to have public health measures because we have not yet vaccinated anybody, we need to vaccinate about 80 percent of the population and then we will see whether they are fully protected, it will be a combination, just like we have the mask, social distance and you get vaccination,” he said.…
Read More
AstraZeneca faces mounting bans

AstraZeneca faces mounting bans

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri and Rose-Mary Haufiku Controversy continues to dog the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as several European countries suspending the use of AstraZeneca vaccine. Despite Namibian Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, remaining adamant that Government will go ahead with the procurement of the controversial vaccine through the COVAX facility. European media have been carrying reports that the AstraZeneca vaccine caused thromboembolic events or blood clots among some individuals who received the jab. Three of 17 European countries that have received the AstraZeneca vaccine (Denmark, Norway and Iceland) have, as a precautionary measure, stopped administering the vaccine while Italy,…
Read More
Shangula dismisses third wave concerns …as CDC cautions

Shangula dismisses third wave concerns …as CDC cautions

Andrew Kathindi Health and Social Services (MoHS) minister, Kalumbi Shangula, has downplayed the probability of a third wave of COVID-19 hitting Namibia anytime soon. This comes after South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Sunday warned that the, “threat of a third wave is constantly present, as is the threat of yet more new variants”. Shangula stated that he was not aware of Ramaphosa’s warning, but queried, “How can they talk about a third wave when they are relaxing all the control measures?” South Africa on Sunday relaxed some of its regulations in the control of the spread of COVID-19. The…
Read More
Healthcare workers threaten strike

Healthcare workers threaten strike

Andrew Kathindi The Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN) has threatened to rally healthcare workers this Thursday (28 January) to leave their work until the matter of risk allowance is resolved. Health minister, Kalumbi Shangula, earlier this month revealed that over 1300 healthcare workers have been infected by COVID-19, with six deaths from the sector. “Healthcare workers were also forced to perform duties without the necessary personal protective equipment (PPEs). If the government is not recognising them, why should they have to avail themselves and to risk their lives any further? And that is what we are going to do.…
Read More
COVID deaths surpass 300

COVID deaths surpass 300

Staff Writer Namibia has now surpassed the 300 mark for COVID-19 related deaths after five more people succumbed to the virus. Health and Social Services (MOHSS) minister, Kalumbi Shangula, announced the latest figures on Wednesday. The five fatalities were recorded in Windhoek, Oshakati, Otjiwarongo and Walvis Bay, becoming the second highest number of deaths ever recorded in the country in a single day since the outbreak of COVID-19 last year. The increase in fatalities, comes as positive cases continue to spike, with 258 new COVID-19 confirmed cases from 1 793 results received from the laboratories in the last 24 hours.…
Read More
Increase in COVID-19 cases worries health ministry

Increase in COVID-19 cases worries health ministry

Clifton Movirongo The Ministry of Health said it is worried about a resurgence of COVID-19 cases after the country recorded its highest number on Thursday, 26 November in months, with 149 new positive cases recorded in Namibia. This comes on the day after the local and regional elections where voters stood in long lines with no social distancing. The Khomas region according to Ministry of Health figures, recorded the highest number with 105 cases recorded in Windhoek out of 149 cases from 1,327 results received from the testing laboratories countrywide. Last week, the Minister of Health and Social Services (MoHSS),…
Read More
Ministry dismisses COVID-19 second wave fears ..as country sees spike in cases

Ministry dismisses COVID-19 second wave fears ..as country sees spike in cases

Andrew Kahindi The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) has dismissed concerns about a second wave of COVID-19 in Namibia. This is in the wake of a rising number of cases in the past week with 200 new cases recorded since last Friday, 13 November. A second wave of COVID-19 has swept across Europe where most countries beginning to see a spike in numbers again. In France, a second lockdown was announced after daily COVID-19-related deaths reached their highest levels since April. Germany recorded 23,542 cases last Friday, a record high according to media while Portugal is currently experiencing…
Read More
Northern referral hospital still in planning phase…as Govt moots new Windhoek hospital

Northern referral hospital still in planning phase…as Govt moots new Windhoek hospital

Andrew Kathindi There is still no movement on the construction of the northern referral hospital, three years on after government mooted the idea, Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula has revealed. The hospital which was set to be built in the Oshana region, was meant to cater to six other nearby northern regions, including Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Kunene and part of Kavango West. Plans for the Northern Academic Referral Hospital were announced by former Health Minister Bernard Haufiku in 2017. “It has not been abandoned. It is still in the planning stage. It remains part of the overall…
Read More