Namibia's cancer rate remains high, calling for a more decentralised approach to improve oncology services.

Namibia currently does not have adequate equipment and machines to treat cancer for state patients.

The current cobalt 60 machine used for radiation therapy has reached its life span and is not operational.

A lack of sufficient oncology services in other regions has also caused backlogs, leaving many patients who travel to Windhoek for treatment frustrated.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources has called on the Ministry of Mines and Energy to decentralise its operations to better serve small-scale miners in rural areas.

At a meeting in Swakopmund, the MPs emphasised that small-scale miners bear exorbitant costs to travel to Windhoek for services.

Although there are offices of the Mines Ministry in the regions, the parliamentarians argued that such offices are located in towns.