Otjomuru clinic handed over to government

WINDHOEK, 22 JUN  – The Otjomuru clinic, situated in Otjomuru village some 27 kilometres east of Okangwati in the Kunene Region, was handed over to Government on Wednesday.
The construction of the clinic was an initiative of former Prime Minister, Dr Libertina Amathila and was funded by the Pupkewitz Foundation.
It consists of three screening rooms, one consulting room, a reception area and a pharmacy and is run by one registered nurse and an enrolled nurse.
Receiving the clinic on behalf of the government, Vice President Nangolo Mbumba explained that it will assist the residents in many ways, such as minimising the distance people have to cover to access health care.
It will also assist Government to reach out to communities during outreach programmes as well as with the distribution of Antiretroviral therapy to patients in this part of the region.
Mbumba commended the Pupkewitz Foundation for their assistance and requested others to emulate the good gesture.
The Foundation was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Meryl Barry.
Kunene Governor, Marius Sheya acknowledged the challenge of roads in the region, saying that there are times that health centres cannot be reached due to bad road conditions.
“There are times, especially during the rainy season when the rivers are flowing heavily to the extent that patients in the region are cut off from accessing health facilities.”
He appealed to authorities in Government tasked with road maintenance to improve the roads in the region and build bridges so as to make it easy for people to travel, irrespective of weather conditions.
Asked for comment, principal of the Otjomuru Primary School, Anna Tjazapi noted that the school takes learners to Okangwati for treatment of cases of transmittable diseases such as chicken pox and conjunctivitis, also known as pink eyes.
“Such situations will now be handled at Otjomuru,” she happily said.
Apart from a school, this village in the Epupa Constituency has about 74 households, which translate into a population of more than 320.
Other health facilities in the constituency include a health centre at Okangwati and clinics at the Epupa, Etanga, Onjuva and Ohandungu villages.
(NAMPA)