Niël Terblanché
The Welwitschia Private Hospital in Walvis Bay has become the first medical facility in Namibia to earn ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certification.
Hospital manager Stephan Nel confirmed the achievement, which came after about a year and a half of hard work.
The global assurance firm DNV issued the endorsement, placing the hospital in a position to meet the standards required to serve the mining, marine, and growing oil and gas sectors in Namibia.
Nel said the process began early last year when management decided to align all departments with the two ISO standards.
“We were audited several times, and we even had inspectors from DNV here for a week to check if everything that would enable us to be certified is in order,” Nel told the Windhoek Observer.
The hospital had to enhance various processes, ranging from patient reception to waste management and food preparation.
“After the inspection, we still had to make some adjustments, but in the end, we achieved what we set out to do.”
On Wednesday, the hospital officially announced the certification, stressing that ISO compliance is now a key requirement for many international and multinational companies operating in Namibia.
“Modern industrial companies, which in many cases are multinational institutions, have to have service providers that comply with ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety before they can supply such services,” Nel said.
He pointed out that the certification is not the final step.
The hospital’s 220 employees, together with outside contractors, will undergo regular surveillance audits to ensure procedures remain in place.
“Everyone employed by the hospital was scrutinised, and all of them did their part. The effort has welded the team together, and they are all ready to face a brighter future,” he said.
ISO 9001 is a globally used standard for quality management.
It helps organisations ensure their services meet customer and legal requirements while also encouraging ongoing improvement.
ISO 45001, introduced in 2018, sets the standard for occupational health and safety systems that aim to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.
DNV, based in Høvik, Norway, is a global registrar and classification society.
It operates in more than 100 countries and certifies management systems in sectors such as maritime, oil and gas, healthcare, and renewable energy. Its certification is recognised as one of the most respected across the world.
Nel said the ISO certification confirms that the hospital’s policies now meet international benchmarks required by current and future clients.
