Hardap Regional Health Director, Yvonne Stephanus has commended community members in her region for their support during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which she said went a long way in assisting facilities around the region save lives.

When the third wave engulfed the region, wreaking havoc and constraining health facilities across the region, Stephanus said the community did not hang their heads, but took responsibility and provided support worth nearly N.dollars 1 million to ensure facilities are equipped to fight the pandemic.

“Not once did we feel alone. Things were difficult but the community came forward. I felt supported. The pandemic really showed that alone we cannot achieve much, but if we hold hands we will achieve a lot,” Stephanus told Nampa recently.

Data provided by her office shows that the Mariental community mobilised up to N.dollars 300 000 to renovate an out-patient department ward at the Mariental State Hospital which was used as a COVID-19 isolation facility.

The community further donated towards the supply of oxygen which was critical during the third wave when many hospitals across the country were running low on supply.

Funds were mobilised through the Mariental Ambulance Emergency Fund and were further used for electricity repairs at the hospital, the supply of bedding and the procurement of a container mobile mortuary, while local businesses also made contributions towards repair work at the hospital including in the operating theatre.

The Rehoboth community, similarly, through the Rehoboth Community Trust donated a 4.5-ton oxygen tank worth N.dollars 500 000 to the Rehoboth St Mary’s Hospital.

The region has been lauded by Health Minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula for being among the top regions with the highest percentage of vaccination in the country.

“Our statistics indicate that across all demographics that we have categorised as priorities, namely healthcare workers, the elderly, persons with co-morbidities, the Hardap Region scores one of the highest percentages of vaccination in comparison to other regions around the country,” Shangula said recently.

Namibia, he said has so much to learn about mobilisation and awareness creation for vaccination and officials from regions that are performing poorly should learn from Hardap.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency