Namibia's Health Minister, Esperance Luvindao, has acknowledged that state hospitals often face challenges in treating patients covered by the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund due to limited clinical expertise, theatre space, and intensive care beds. This admission was made in response to questions from Member of Parliament, Fenny Nanyeni, who expressed concerns about why accident victims covered by the MVA Fund are sometimes referred to or admitted to private hospitals instead of state facilities.
Luvindao revealed that the MVA Fund has invested in public health facilities for nearly two decades and continues to work with the Ministry of Health and Social Services to strengthen public healthcare. The investments include the renovation of the Emergency Unit at Intermediate Hospital Katutura, medical equipment for Intermediate Hospital Oshakati, and a Lodox full-body low-dose X-ray machine at Katutura. Despite these efforts, state facilities remain unable to accommodate every MVA patient.
The limitations in state facilities include the availability of certain clinical expertise, timely access to theatre space when other surgeries are taking place, and limited ICU beds. Luvindao emphasized that the decision on where an MVA patient receives treatment is not based solely on whether the patient is covered by the Fund. Instead, the fund uses clinical guidelines and considers the severity of the injuries, the capacity of available hospitals, the location of the accident, and the availability of appropriate medical personnel.
The proximity of suitable medical care is also a crucial factor, as reaching appropriate treatment during the "golden hour" can significantly affect the chances of a positive outcome. This is particularly important for patients requiring emergency surgery or intensive care, where delays in accessing the appropriate facility can have serious consequences. Once critical interventions have been performed, patients can be transferred back to state facilities where appropriate.
The MVA Fund maintains communication with ministry officials at various health centers to facilitate such transfers. Nanyeni's questions also highlighted the role of the fund's fuel levy in strengthening the public health system. She suggested that the resources generated through the fund could be used more extensively to improve the facilities where accident victims are expected to receive emergency treatment.
Luvindao disclosed that the planned Windhoek trauma center remains at an "infant stage" of establishment, with land acquisition finalized through the City of Windhoek. The development aims to provide dedicated trauma capacity in the capital, where state hospitals currently have to balance road-crash injuries with other emergency and surgical cases. The government is also working to establish modern ICU facilities at district hospitals across all 14 regions.
The capacity issue comes against a wider expansion of public intensive care services, with Namibia having fewer than 40 public ICU beds before the Covid-19 pandemic. The government has since expanded capacity by 55 beds to 97. Additionally, trauma demand remains significant outside Windhoek, with Onandjokwe Intermediate Hospital handling an average of 91 bone and joint injury cases a month, including serious trauma cases requiring surgery.
Key points
- State hospitals in Namibia face challenges in treating MVA Fund patients due to limited clinical expertise, theatre space, and intensive care beds.
- The MVA Fund has invested in public health facilities to strengthen public healthcare, but state facilities remain unable to accommodate every MVA patient.
- The planned Windhoek trauma center aims to provide dedicated trauma capacity in the capital, but its establishment is still at an early stage.
