Rundu-based Aqua Emergency Care Services say they are ready to attend to any emergencies in and around the region this festive season.

There are only three private ambulance services in one of Namibia's most populated towns.

It's the festive season.

It is a busy time for emergency service providers.

Aqua Emergency Care Services started operating in February of this year.

They have so far responded to ninety callouts, the majority being motor vehicle accidents.

Emergency care technician Matheus Mukusuka says the team is prepared and ready to serve this holiday season. 

"We have all our medication. Our equipment is ready to be used on each patient that needs our care; our ambulance has been serviced; and we are just ready for any sort of transfer or transportation needs that we may encounter because we are going to be doing a lot of driving up and down. So sometimes it can be a long distance, and you do not want to be transporting a patient, and something happens to the ambulance, and that can hinder the patient care that you're giving."

Rundu did not have any private ambulance services until recently.

Out of the three service providers available, two were established only in 2023.

Despite this, some locals are still not aware of these service providers.

"People do not know of the services that private ambulance services provide. They only know the state. You'll find cases of people who do have medical aid; they do qualify to use the private service, but since they do not know, they will rather transport themselves to the hospital or call state, which sometimes can cause a delay in patient management."

Private ambulance services like this one are also being used by the local state hospital, particularly when inundated.

Those who work in this sector say one needs to be resilient, fit, and passionate, amongst many other attributes.