After years of struggling to reach patients in emergencies, nurses at Mpora Clinic in Kavango West Region can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The clinic has received a new ambulance, bringing hope to healthcare workers and nearby communities.

Mpora Clinic, located in the Ncamagoro District, is among the Kavango West regional clinics that have been battling transport challenges for many years, with nurses here finding it hard to carry out their daily duties. 

Kavango West Governor Verna Sinimbo reaffirmed the government's commitment to delivering timely services to its people.

Sinimbo said the combination of poor road networks and inadequate transport has long affected healthcare delivery in rural areas, but with this new ambulance, the challenge becomes a thing of the past. 

She noted that the new vehicle represents a step forward in closing the gap between rural and urban health access.

The governor warned, however, that the ambulance must be used for its intended purpose: to serve patients in need and not as a taxi for unnecessary travel. 

She cautioned that any misuse of government health vehicles could discourage the ministry and shift attention to other regions if it becomes evident that Kavango West's health fleet is being mismanaged.

 According to a nurse at the clinic, there have been times when patients in emergency conditions had to wait for hours because of the unavailability of transport.

 In such cases, patients were kept at the clinic while waiting for an ambulance to come all the way from Rundu, which was approximately 80 kilometres away.

The Regional Director of Health, Franciska Hamutenya, said the new fleet is a lifesaving resource for many communities along the Trans-Kalahari Highway, where accidents frequently occur. She explained that nurses at Mpora and Katjinakatji clinics have been struggling to attend to emergencies due to transport shortages.

Hamuntenta noted that having an ambulance permanently stationed at Mpora Clinic will enable health workers to respond to accidents promptly. 

The ambulance will serve four clinics, namely Mangetti, Katjinakatji, Mpora, and Mile 30 Clinic.

Despite this positive development, the director expressed the need for an additional vehicle to serve Erago Clinic, which is located deep inland and accessible only by a very poor road network.