Allexer Namundjembo
The Asoli Progressive Party has questioned President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah over what it described as silence on ongoing medicine shortages in public hospitals.
Asoli’s president Josef Kauandenge said the government has not responded to the crisis with enough urgency.
Kauandenge said the party is disappointed by the “deafening silence” from the presidency as state hospitals across the country continue struggling to supply critical medicines.
“The President, as the custodian and leader of the Namibian nation, should have come forth outlining why there are shortages of critical medicines in our hospitals,” he said on Sunday.
Kauandenge also questioned health minister Esperance Luvindao over what the party described as a lack of leadership on the matter.
According to Asoli, the ministry had previously promised to remove middlemen from the medicine procurement process and source medicines directly from suppliers to improve efficiency and reduce shortages.
Public concern over medicine shortages has grown in recent weeks after reports emerged that some patients were being referred to private pharmacies because public hospitals had run out of stock.
This comes as the Ministry of Health and Social Services on Sunday issued a national update on pharmaceutical supplies, saying monthly public updates will now be provided on medicine deliveries and stock levels.
According to the ministry, current stock levels stand at about 60% of required quantities, with a target of reaching 80%.
The ministry says several essential medicines remain understocked or out of stock, forcing emergency procurement measures to stabilise supply.
Between 27 April and 15 May 2026, the Central Medical Stores (CMS) received several deliveries, including propofol injections with a nine-month supply, carbamazepine tablets with a 2.8-month supply, doxycycline capsules with a three-month supply, hydroxyurea capsules with a 14.2-month supply, linezolid tablets with a 12-month supply and zidovudine syrup with a 12-month supply.
The ministry said it is introducing several measures to stabilise pharmaceutical supplies.
These include emergency procurement from local and international markets, pooled procurement systems, direct sourcing from manufacturers, expanding supplier networks, fast-tracking medicine registration and increasing national buffer stock.
The ministry also said institutional reforms are being implemented at the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council to improve turnaround times for applications and product registrations.
Despite these efforts, Asoli said ordinary Namibians, particularly low-income citizens, continue to suffer the most.
“It is disheartening that ordinary Namibians are now suffering as they are forever sent back to procure these medicines at pharmacies.”
The party said many Namibians cannot afford private pharmacies and called for urgent intervention from the presidency.
“Bold actions” are needed instead of “lip service”, the party added.
The issue of medicine shortages has also previously been raised in Parliament by Aina Kodi of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM).
Kodi said many rural health facilities still struggle with unreliable electricity, weak internet access and limited ICT infrastructure.
She questioned the ministry for failing to address incomplete projects, unspent funds, medicine shortages, broken equipment and poor health facilities in its budget plans.
