The Mariental State Hospital has been experiencing shortages of medical oxygen since June, after an explosion at the oxygen plant.

The police in the Hardap Region have destroyed drugs and other contraband worth more than N$462 000, saying the exercise is aimed at ensuring seized drugs never find their way back into communities. The drugs formed part of evidence collected between January and December 2025.

Rainwater from a leaking roof flooded parts of Mariental State Hospital.

Videos of the water leakage, showing nurses mopping up rainwater, circulated widely on social media.

The NBC News team reached out to Hardap Health Directorate Regional Director Yvonne Stephanus, who declined to comment.

Wards at the Mariental State Hospital will undergo rehabilitation, thanks to the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency and the Office of the Hardap Governor Salomon April.