OmniCare Trust Mobile Clinic receives over N$1.2 million
The OmniCare Trust Mobile Clinic last week the received over N$1.2 million from FirstRand Namibia’s Health Optimisation Pandemic Emergency (HOPE) Fund.
The funds will be used towards the provision of primary healthcare services for one year and Covid-19 testing for three months.
“The year 2020 had originally been declared by the World Health Organisation as the year to honour the work of nurses and midwives internationally, highlighting the challenging conditions they often face, and advocating for increased investments in the nursing and midwifery workforce.
However, as we know the nursing world has quickly shifted attention from this original proclamation of the Year of the Nurse and Midwife to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Bronwen Chase, FirstRand HOPE Fund Operations Team Leader.
Chase added that the support of OmniCare Trust Mobile Clinic this year took on a whole new meaning, considering this year’s pandemic and the work of healthcare workers worldwide.
“This year has seen even longer hours, combined with tremendous physical and emotional demands and highstakes.
Who could have imagined the critical importance of healthcare workers in our society would be brought into focus so clearly by the Covid-19 pandemic? Every day, the media highlights the threatening conditions care providers are facing and how staff shortages may impact the healthcare system’s ability to save lives.
We are thus immensely happy and grateful that we are able to lighten the burden of our healthcare workers and patients who make use of the mobile clinics.”
Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula indicated that the facilities will create conditions for improved health services for informal settlements. “These services are brought closer to the communities, especially those who have Covid-19 symptoms but don’t have taxi money to get tested at the Robert Mugabe clinic.”
Shangula further paid tribute to the health workers who put their lives in line to safe others. He applauded the partnership between government and the private sector to reach and service the residents of Namibia.