IPC bemoans poor health service delivery

The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) lawmaker Lilani Brinkman says Namibia cannot normalise situations where citizens suffer or lose their lives because basic healthcare services are unavailable when needed most.

Referring to the situation at Mariental District Hospital, the MP raised concern that the oxygen-generation plant has been out of operation since 30 July 2026 due to technical failures, leaving the facility reliant on oxygen cylinders. “Alarmingly, reports indicate that patients suffering from asthma and other respiratory conditions have died in circumstances where oxygen was reportedly unavailable,” she added.

Brinkman added: “While the ministry of health has acknowledged the plant failure, supplied cylinders and initiated an investigation into distribution discrepancies, clear answers are required regarding when the plant will be fully operational, how many patients were transferred due to shortages and whether the lack of oxygen contributed to patient fatalities.”

Turning the attention to the Zambezi region, she worriedly mentioned that recorded diarrhoea cases escalated dramatically from 1146 to 6960 between 24 and 30 August 2026, leading to 255 hospital admissions. “Most tragically, 12 children under the age of five have died from diarrhoea-related complications this year,” she said. The statement further mentioned key drivers causing this as poor sanitation and hygiene, unsafe water storage, inadequate sewage, wastewater management and low rotavirus vaccination coverage. “Although cases began declining in September following emergency interventions, a sustained focus on clean water, sanitation, nutrition and timely treatment remains vital,’’ said Brinkman.

In terms of the provision of health services at Witvlei Clinic, IPC’s shadow health minister stated that reports indicated child malnutrition and further highlighted ongoing concerns surrounding public health, food insecurity and poverty. “While local authorities dispute reported figures of 10 to 15 malnourished infants presenting per day, there is an undeniable need for accurate data collection, early identification and dedicated nutritional and social support for affected children,” said Brinkman in the press release.

The MP also felt that, while initial response efforts by the Ministry and regional health authorities are acknowledged, official acknowledgement of systemic breakdowns must be accompanied by measurable results. “Every life and every child matters, and lifesaving healthcare must be reliable and available across all regions, whilst continuous parliamentary oversight will be maintained until accountability and functional services are fully restored,” she said.

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