The Outapi District Hospital faces a range of challenges due to a shortage of doctors and nurses, which hinders its smooth operation.

The hospital estimates the need for ten more doctors and fifteen nurses to ease the pressure on its current staff, who attend to hundreds of patients on a daily basis.

This was revealed during an inspection by the parliamentary standing committee on gender equality, social development, and family affairs at Outapi District Hospital.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee was also informed that the hospital, which serves more than 76,000 people and was built in 1984, needs renovation and expansion.

Its maternity ward has a bed capacity of 33, but the hospital records 15 to 20 deliveries per day."

Out of six ambulances assigned to the hospital, only one is functional, transporting patients to Oshakati three to four times a day.

Tsandi District Hospital has only two working ambulances, Okahao has one, and Oshikuku has only three in running order.

Additionally, the Outapi District Hospital is experiencing a shortage of certain medications, which has led to the hospital requiring patients to purchase unavailable medications themselves.

Other problems raised include a shortage of nurses' uniforms and specialists at district hospitals, cleaning materials, garbage plastic bags, and a deficiency of social workers at all district hospitals.