The Ministry of Health and Social Services on Monday received a team of medical emergency doctors from the United Kingdom to assist Namibia in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team of 10 specialists come following a request by the health ministry to development partners in June this year to provide support and assistant to the country, which was then at the peak of its third wave.

Speaking at the event held to welcome the doctors, Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, said although Namibia is beginning to see a downward trend in the number of new admissions and new cases being reported, the number of deaths is still high and needs to be brought down.

“We also need to continue with our vigilance until we lower the number of new infections significantly. It is for this reason that we are grateful to receive this much needed additional support, for capacity building, on-site training and teaching, as well as managing COVID-19 patients in Namibia. You have indeed come at the right time and I anticipate that the team will not only teach and train but also you may learn from those on the ground and there may be skill and knowledge exchange,” he said.

Speaking at the same event, UK High Commissioner in Namibia, Charles Moore, said Namibia over the past few weeks has seen so much devastations in terms of loss of lives by the pandemic. He said the country has further been struggling with misinformation.

“We are hoping that now we at the beginning of the end and we can see some improvements already which are promising. It is therefore an ideal time for the emergency team to visit because, with their diverse experience and collective knowledge, it will provide some capacity building and advice that Namibia most desperately needs,” Moore said.

The team will help to strengthen the capacity of health facilities in Namibia and will deliver direct support to specific health structures such as providing additional staff to the intensive care units.

Source: Namibia Press Agency