The new contractor for the Neonatal Unit at Swakopmund Hospital is aiming to complete construction by August 26 this year.

The N$26 million project has faced delays over the years, which led to the termination of the tender initially awarded to Shatty Construction.

The Ministry of Health and Social Services says Shatty Construction got the tender in November 2020.

But the company, which is an SME, failed to complete the project in February 2022 as agreed, despite the government allegedly paying the SME.

The ministry cancelled the contract late last year and awarded it to a state-owned company on August 26.

The Executive Director of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Ben Nangombe, says, "It is also true that in some instances we have been let down by the SMEs we are trying to promote. We have no problem promoting SMEs, but they must do their work and do it effectively, so that projects like that one, the one in Swakopmund, are not delayed. I'm glad to say that when I visited that facility a week ago, progress was self-evident, and that is what we need because if we delay in this particular case, we are denying services to the small babies born with congenital illnesses."

The Neonatal Ward will have 28 beds, four isolation unit beds, and a mothers' lodging unit.

Currently, the Swakopmund district has a maternal ward with a capacity of 26 beds and four neonatal incubators.

Nangombe says the unit will play a vital role in decentralising neonatal services.

"When they need treatment, we don't need to send them to far distances, so people from Erongo Region can be referred to Swakopmund; people from Kunene Region can be referred to Swakopmund, this western part and southern part of Otjozondjupa Region; they can be referred to here and not necessarily to Windhoek."

Currently, babies who need neo-natal care are sent to Windhoek, risking their lives as they travel more than 4 hours to get the services.