For years, residents of Okondjatu had to travel long distances to access basic healthcare, with many relying on a small clinic that could no longer meet the needs of the growing community.

That chapter has come to an end following the handover of a Primary Health Care Clinic valued at N$9.3 million by the Health and Social Services Minister, Dr. Esperance Luvindao.

The official inauguration of the new Okondjatu Primary Health Care Clinic marks a major milestone for one of the Otjozondjupa Region's most remote communities.

"This clinic particularly will serve as a lifeline for over 5,000 Namibians, and while we celebrate the structure, we are already looking ahead; we are already planning for the next phase. We realise that these healthcare workers will need somewhere to stay," said Luvindao.

To ensure the healthcare workers are well taken care of, staff accommodations are in the pipeline. 

Construction of the new clinic experienced 12 years of delays after changes in contractors and other setbacks.

Otjozondjupa Regional Council Chairperson Paulus Nekundi explained, "I took decisive action and instructed the health directorate to submit monthly progress reports. I made it explicitly clear that this project must be completed by the end of May 2026. I also expressed my strong dissatisfaction with the unjustifiable delays and the wastage of over a decade of resources for this public facility."

For years, residents travelled hundreds of kilometres to Okakarara or Grootfontein for medical attention, while the existing clinic operated under difficult conditions and struggled to meet increasing demand.

Community members welcomed the development, saying the clinic will ease the burden on families who previously spent both time and money travelling to seek medical care.

The clinic also forms part of the government's broader efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve access to quality health services in underserved communities.