The prolonged closure of Angola’s borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic has forced Ministry of Health officials in the Kunene Region to turn to unconventional methods to deliver lifesaving medication, including HIV drugs, to patients living in Angola.
The patients include both Namibians and Angolan nationals who would previously cross the border to make use of Namibian healthcare services.
Angola’s borders have been closed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, disrupting the lives of many who live along the borders between the two countries, including patients who depend on Namibia for lifesaving medication for chronic illnesses.
Kunene Health Director Thomas Shapumba told Nampa in a recent interview the region makes use of the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) to assist in delivering medication to patients who are not allowed to enter Namibia.
There are 11 patients who on antiretroviral therapy (ART), four who are on hypertension medication and one patient who uses medication for epilepsy.
“We have other patients who depend on us for medication, but these three conditions are more critical. We had to come up with an arrangement to ensure that the patients do not default on their medication, and so we reached a common understanding that while no one is allowed to enter Namibia or vice versa, we still ensure that our patients are catered for,” Shapumba said.
He explained that the process requires patients living in Angola to deliver their medical passports to the Angolan authorities at the border, who pass the medical passports on to the Namibian police. The police officers then drive to the nearest clinic, usually at Epupa, Otjimuhaka or Etoto, collects the medication and along with a healthcare worker delivers it to the Angolan authority, which then distributes the medication to the patients.
“It’s not an ideal situation but these are our patients, on our records, and we cannot leave them to suffer and potentially die. We would always prefer that the medicine be picked up in person, but the Angolan authorities refuse to allow people to pass and we do not know how long the borders will be closed or how long we will have to deal with COVID-19,” the health director stated.
Kunene has no officially gazetted borders, but cross-border movement is common in the area.
This includes movement by patients who cross over into Namibia in search of healthcare and other essential services. Since the closure of Angola’s borders last year, the area is however being heavily patrolled.
Kunene Regional Police Commander, Commissioner James Nderura said this is just one of many ways in which the police and other institutions have been forced to innovate and ensure service delivery.
“We work together to ensure that rules are not broken but at the same time, we need to ensure that people do not end up dying or being badly impacted by these rules and restrictions,” he said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
