The Apgar Maternity Hospital, which was inaugurated in Windhoek, will serve as a beacon of hope to communities and improve maternal and children's health.
Apgar Maternity Hospital symbolises a commitment to care for and save the lives of newborns.
The hospital also aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births and to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under five, aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-five mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births by 2030.
The state-of-the-art private health facility promises to deliver quality healthcare services to mothers and children in their care.
The Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula applauded the founders of Apgar Hospital, Dr. Emmanuel Tom and registered nurse, Nancy Shiweda, for their vision.
He mentions that public-private partnerships are vital, as the government cannot work in isolation to achieve health SDG targets.
"Our latest data indicates a maternal mortality ratio of around 215 per 100,000 live births, which, although improved compared to previous years, demands relentless effort to reach the global targets. According to the World Bank Report of 2020, neonatal mortality stands at approximately 29.9 per 1,000 live births. Although Namibia is performing better than the Sub-Saharan African average, we still have a considerable journey ahead of us to meet our international obligations and benchmarks."
The director of the Apgar Maternity Hospital, Dr. Emmanuel Tom, noted that the hospital will give hope and relief to families whose journey of welcoming a child can be filled with uncertainty and anxiety when faced with premature birth or medical complications.
"Our NICU will be a sanctuary of hope, providing critical lifesaving care to infants who need it most. It is our hope that with a highly skilled team of neonatal specialists, nurses, and support, we will ensure that every newborn has the best possible start in life. The establishment of this unit reflects our unwavering dedication to lowering infant mortality rates and providing care that can make the difference between life and death for premature and critically ill infants."
The hospital is located opposite the Windhoek Central Hospital.