The Kayengona Clinic is the only health facility within the Rundu Rural Constituency, and plans are underway for it to be upgraded.
These were just some of the sentiments shared at the belated independence celebrations at Mbambi village in the Kavango East Region.
Rundu Rural Constituency Councillor, Paulus Mbangu, says having only one clinic in the area is proving to be extremely difficult for the locals.
"From when we branch off from the tar road up to here, it's more than 50 km, and in between there, there is no clinic, and I hope you agree with me that there is a need for us to have a clinic or to construct a clinic in Rundu Rural in the current financial year. Our wish in Rundu Rural is that if we can just have a clinic at Rikwaterera, another one at Puma, and another one at Munangombe, at least the community will be relieved."
The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, told the community of Rundu Rural constituency that the Kayengona clinic will be upgraded to a health centre during the 2026–2027 financial year.
"A health centre is an intermediate level between a clinic and a hospital. A health centre will have the services of a doctor on a permanent basis and also in-patient facilities. That is the level at which we are going to upgrade the Kayengona clinic."
Dr. Shangula also informed the residents of other health facilities that will also receive a facelift.
"The Mabushe Clinic will be relocated to higher ground. Other health facilities are the Likwaterera Clinic, Kaisosi Health Centre, Katere Clinic, Divundu Clinic, Nkarapamwe, Ndama, Barramasoni, and Sauyemwa, where renovation, alteration, and upgrading will be done. Many more health infrastructures, like clinics and health centres, will be constructed during the subsequent financial years to keep pace with population growth."
The Minister of Health says despite plans to upgrade health facilities, actual well-being is not only obtained from hospitals and clinics.
The plan is to prevent people from getting sick, and it begins at home.
"The food we eat, the air we breathe in, the environment we live in, and the way we conduct ourselves have a bearing on our health. Physical exercise is important to improve blood circulation and oxygen intake. We should refrain from harmful practices like smoking, alcohol, and substance abuse."
The belated independence celebrations saw various groups entertaining the crowd.