The International University of Management (IUM) is strengthening its medical education partnership with the University of Zimbabwe to help address Namibia's shortage of specialist doctors.

A University of Zimbabwe delegation is in Namibia from 11 to 15 October to assess IUM's medical programmes and strengthen cooperation between the two institutions.

The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding in 2022, followed by an agreement between IUM and the Ministry of Health and Social Services in August 2024.

IUM Founder and Council Chair David Namwandi stated that the shortage of medical specialists remains a concern, with fewer than 100 Namibian specialists in the country, according to his remarks.

“We can only think about this necessary change through strengthening the capacity of our public hospitals and by creating avenues to attract highly trained medical specialists, experts from renowned centers in the world, such as the University of Zimbabwe, to come to Namibia. It is my firm belief that these specialists, while providing clinical instruction and training, will also provide specialised care to our people.”

Namwandi emphasised that training specialists locally and attracting expertise from abroad will help strengthen public hospitals and improve access to specialised healthcare.

The University of Zimbabwe's Dean of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr Fiona Makoni, highlighted that the five-year renewable agreement covers training and clinical practice across six medical disciplines.

“Currently, the programmes being considered include mental health psychiatry, which is the most advanced in the collaboration, because we have already graduated a student with a diploma in mental health. They are now going into their second year, which is really the first year of the master's programme. We also have anesthetics and critical care, surgery, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics. Those are the six disciplines that are ready for us to enroll students.”

The delegation visited Katutura and Windhoek Central hospitals and is expected to inspect Rundu State Hospital to assess its readiness and staffing capacity.

Meanwhile, IUM also acquired medical equipment worth approximately N$8.5 million for Rundu State Hospital to strengthen services and improve access to specialised treatment.

The university is also constructing a modern 120-bed hospital in Ondangwa, which is expected to complement public healthcare services and provide clinical training opportunities.