N$28m ICU facility opens at Central Hospital

Health minister Dr Esperance Luvindao this week launched a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit facility worth N$28 million at the Windhoek Central Hospital.

From the overall government investment, N$17.87 million was invested in cutting-edge medical equipment and N$9.6 million in modern infrastructure upgrades.

The new state-of-the-art facility boasts expanded capacity, dedicated isolation units, advanced oxygen-flow systems, cardiac monitors, and state-of-the-art ventilators.

“This investment is not merely about increasing bed capacity, it is distinctively and urgently about saving lives,” said Luvindao.

Between 2022 and 2026, the previous setup admitted approximately 1 090 children, with 929 successfully discharged home, resulting in an overall mortality rate of approximately 14.5%.

Currently, Namibia’s 2024 baseline neonatal mortality rate stands at 24 deaths per 1 000 live births, with the country’s strategic target being to reduce this to 10 deaths per 1 000 live births by 2030.