The Minister of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Esperance Luvindao, was more displeased than happy when she recently inaugurated a multi-million dollar office building for the Oshakati Hospital management team.
In her view, there is more need to build health facilities than offices.
The building adjacent to the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital housing offices of the management team was constructed at a cost of N$18 million.
At its inauguration, the minister did not mince her words in displeasure rather than celebration.
She said where she had been, staff member offices are nothing compared to some of the medical centres where the masses receive care.
Dr Luvindao lamented that offices are better constructed and cared for than actual healthcare facilities.
"I have travelled around a lot of the regions, and for some reason the office looks better than the healthcare facilities. I know I am supposed to be celebrating, but it's an anomaly. Why do we have offices looking better than where people get health care? So we have our priorities twisted. I have never gone to a regional office in any region and found ceilings falling; no, the floors are always clean, and at this point we should celebrate these facilities, but the first responsibility is the people in the community, not ourselves."
Dr. Luvindao also took a swipe at delay tactics by some contractors robbing people of crucial care services.
She promised to correct the wrong by terminating the services of contractors that will be found guilty of the act.
"So you see Luvindao on the ministry's page being strict and angry at contractors; she is not trying to be funny because when we delay, patients suffer, and patients die. When we delay, it is that kuku (grandmother) in the village that can't access health care because we delayed. Because in government it's normal. No, it's not normal. It's always in the pipeline; we don't do anything to these contractors, and by so doing, we teach them it's ok."
She stated that the ministry was still finding its feet last year, but delivering improved services this year is among the top priorities.