Pretoria: Community leaders at Mururani village in the Mankumpi Constituency of the Kavango West Region have called for a fully-fledged health centre, saying an abandoned container serving as a mobile clinic has left residents stranded without healthcare.

According to Namibia Press Agency, community representative Eunike Sem stated that the mobile clinic has been idle for approximately six years, serving mainly as a stand for occasional outreach. She highlighted the challenges faced by expectant mothers, children, prisoners, farmers, and the elderly, who are often rushed to the Katjinakatji or Mangetti clinics and, in many cases, further to Rundu. Sem added that sometimes only police assistance is available to transport patients to the nearest clinic, and without a vehicle, residents are left waiting. She emphasized the financial burden on residents who have to find or borrow money to pay for transportation.

Mururani village headman, Namufinda Sikongo, expressed concerns about the distance and transport costs that are causing delays in care. He called for the establishment of a permanent health facility in Mururani to alleviate the suffering of the community. Sikongo suggested that Mururani could serve as a health hub for surrounding settlements, which would reduce pressure on the Katjinakatji, Mangetti, and Mpora clinics.

Mankumpi Constituency councillor, Lukas Muha, shared that discussions with health authorities have not led to progress, with meetings and correspondence failing to produce the desired outcome. He urged for the establishment of health centres in Mururani and Satotwa, permanent nurses in Mururani, and an upgrade of the Katjinakatji clinic. Muha assured that efforts to address the healthcare needs of the community would continue.

Kavango West Regional Health Director, Fransiska Hamutenya, explained that the container was donated by the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) Foundation to decentralise antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence services as a temporary outreach point known as Community-Based Antiretroviral Therapy (CBART). Hamutenya acknowledged the challenges of transport breakdowns, staffing constraints, and accommodation. She mentioned plans to repurpose CBARTs into health posts with dedicated staff, although the timelines for these changes remain undetermined.