The availability of medical equipment is key to the provision of quality health care services.

Health and Social Services Minister Dr. Kalumbi Shangula made this remark when he received medical equipment from South Korea and Iceland through the World Health Organization.

The purpose of the donation is to aid the government in improving the health of pregnant women and newborns and increasing the quality of care in the provision of other essential health services.

"The Case Management Pillar advised that in order to save the mothers and their unborn babies, we needed to obtain equipment that would aid in monitoring the fetus while the mothers were being treated for COVID-19 and incubators to prepare for preterm deliveries resulting from complications related to the delta variant in pregnant mothers."

The donation was facilitated through the Office of the First Lady, and Dr. Shangula explains that the procurement of the medical equipment was delayed following the outbreak of COVID-19.

"During the peak of the COVID-19 Delta wave, Namibia witnessed some of the darkest moments in public health history, where the health system became overwhelmed with, at times, over 100% bed occupancy. Oxygen supplies were exhausted and the health workforce was overstretched, resulting in increased infection among health care workers as they saved lives and, sadly, some lost their lives. Unfortunately, we also witnessed the severe impact of this wave on pregnant women and their newborns."