Vice President Nangolo Mbumba continues with his visits to the northern parts of the country.

Mbumba visited the Onandjokwe Intermediate Hospital in the Oshikoto Region, one of the oldest hospitals in the north of Namibia.

The Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital was built by missionaries under the leadership of Dr. Selma Rainio from Finland.

Onandjokwe has now joined the ranks of Katutura, Oshakati, and Rundu as an intermediate referral hospital.

There are 560 beds, with the potential to increase to about 800 beds when the new maternity and paediatric units are completed.

Its staff establishment currently stands at 952, with a post-fill rate of 76%.

In the future, Onandjokwe wishes to establish a fully-fledged radiology department with additional, more capable diagnostic equipment.

Some progress made at Onandjokwe includes the completion of renovations at the male and female surgical wards and at the TB ward, as well as the construction of an office for the head of the department.

Construction of the maternity and paediatric wards is also ongoing, at an estimated cost of about N$4.4 million and N$59 million, respectively.

The Onandjokwe District Hospital currently only has two ambulances, with no new vehicles acquired since 2015.

The available ambulances are old and considered unreliable for transporting emergency patients.

The hospital has an oxidation pond, which poses a health hazard for the community, as some community members fish and even sell fish from here.

There is thus a need to connect the hospital's sewage line to the Oniipa Town Council.