Oshana Region is in need of a district hospital to decongest the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital, which serves as a referral hospital.

Oshana Health Director Johanna Haimene made this statement during a visit by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, Social Welfare, and Labour Affairs.

The committee first paid a courtesy call to Oshana Governor Hofni Iipinge, who called on it to conduct on-site inspections of infrastructure and projects rather than relying solely on written reports from officials.

At the Oshakati Hospital, the committee was informed about the need to establish a district hospital in the region to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths.

Health Director in the Oshana Region, Johanna Haimene, shared that providing adequate services is a constant struggle. "We continue suffering, and it will continue providing the services that are not up to the standard they are supposed to be. So, staffing has improved a bit, but you cannot keep on increasing the staff when you do not have a place where you can keep them."

There is also a need for a stand-alone mental health facility, as the current one is said not to be responding to the public's mental health needs.

The current psychiatric ward serving the Oshana, Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, and Kunene regions and the southern part of Angola is overcrowded.

"The mental health facility that we have here is horrible. It was constructed during that time when the population was small, but now the population has grown over time, and even social issues that lead to mental health issues have increased."

There is also a need for two bigger health centres at Oshakati and Ongwediva, as well as the need for pharmaceutical supplies.

Lack of sufficient medications has forced some patients to obtain medicine from private pharmacies.

As improvements, the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital boasts a CT scan, a mammogram machine, a picture archive and communication system for digital storage and radiology images, a kidney dialysis machine, three sonar machines, and a new digital x-ray machine.

The Committee Vice-Chairperson, Emma Muteka, wants to see health matters that are consistent with the healthcare system addressed.

We urgently need to address the issue of inadequate and unsatisfactory care for mentally ill patients. The ministry must urgently address this issue, not only in the Oshana Region but throughout the entire country. The other thing is the construction of a 17-bed space ICU, which is currently underway. The contractor of the site has indicated that the delivery will be between October and November 2025.",