The death of the late All People’s Party (APP) leader Ignatius Shixwameni on the precinct of Parliament, was a rude awakening that an emergency medical facility was not only a want, but a need.
Last year Shixwameni, a fearless activist during his heyday and an astute politician at his prime, died after collapsing at Parliament while attending a parliamentary committee meeting.
At the time, other Members of Parliament (MPs) looked on helplessly as they waited for an ambulance to attend to Shixwameni.
In another incident in 2019, another MP, Lotto Kuushomwa from the National Council, suffered the same fate. He died after collapsing during a National Council session.
“Over the past few years, Parliament has suffered two fatalities,” Rafael Hangula, the parliamentary spokesperson conceded in a statement late Monday.
The APP pinned the blame solely on Parliament, saying the fateful incident would have been averted, had there been a medical facility within close proximity.
“As an institution mandated with legislative powers, the party is dismayed that there is no provision at Parliament for emergency response and that a call for response would take more than 40 minutes, putting our lawmakers in danger,” APP said in the aftermath.
Two fatalities later, Parliament, in collaboration with the health ministry, has now set up an emergency care unit.
In a statement issued late yesterday, Hangula said the facility will serve as an emergency unit to deal with any health emergencies on the precincts of Parliament.
“The clinic that started operating in mid-April, is situated in the National Assembly building, ground floor, northern wing, opposite the chamber. It operates from Mondays to Fridays during normal working hours,” Hangula said.
The unit is manned by two emergency nurses seconded from the health ministry.
The health clinic will cater for MPs, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation and Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
