Hertta-Maria Amutenja
MEDICINE and other essential clinical supplies valued at approximately N$ 20 million are on the brink of spoilage at Rundu medical store, due to malfunctioning cooling system.
The air conditioning system is said to have come to a halt almost two years ago, and remains unrepaired due to lack of funding, putting medical supplies in jeopardy.
This was revealed on Tuesday by officials who are managing the medical store, while testifying before the National Council Standing Committee on Health.
They said the facility’s cooling system urgently requires repair with the cost estimated to be over N$ 500 000.
However, efforts to secure the necessary funds for repair have not been fruitful, as the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) rejected the funding request, asserting that the situation did not qualify as an emergency.
According to the officials, as a dire consequence, some medicines have already been discarded due to melting caused by unregulated temperatures within the storage facility.
Doctor Nelson Olabanji, expressed his concerns over the deteriorating situation.
“Since 2020 the air conditioner at the Rundu medical stores has not been working properly. We tried getting them fixed last year, however we were told it’s not an emergency. The medicine goes bad.
In fact, when the Deputy Executive Director was here, there were creams and medication that melted due to the heat,” said Olabanji.
An artisan working at the institution said that around 13 air conditioners need replacement because they are old.
Hospitals and clinics in the Kavango East and West regions receive services from the Rundu medical store, an essential component of the healthcare system in the region.
The situation highlights wider issues affecting the healthcare system, such as ineffective procurement procedures and neglected infrastructures.
To make matters worse, the Rundu Intermediate Hospital is grappling with issues ranging from malfunctioning toilets which have remained unrepaired for three years due to financial constraints.
Another official from the hospital raised the issue of inadequate laundry facilities, a situation that forces hospital laundry staff members to travel between different hospitals to clean linens and other hospital supplies, jeopardising patient care and hygiene standards.
“We are distributing linen to 10 wards in the hospital, including clinics and health centres surrounding the state hospital. Our washing machines are always broken because they don’t get serviced, “said the official
She added that medical staff members are not exempted to the challenges as they are also dealing with a lack of protective gear, such as uniforms, overalls and boots.
