Swakopmund: R¶ssing Uranium Limited has donated a fully equipped patient transport bus valued at N.dollars 1.5 million to the Ministry of Health and Social Services in the Erongo Region to enhance access to healthcare services. The 55-seater bus comes with a two-year maintenance plan.
According to Namibia Press Agency, during the handover ceremony in Swakopmund, Minister of Health and Social Services, Esperance Luvindao emphasized the donation as a public-private collaboration aimed at ensuring timely access to medical care for Namibians. Over the past three years, an average of 7,500 patients annually have required transportation between district hospitals in the region.
The minister explained that patient transfer figures have steadily increased from 7,964 patients in 2021/2022 to 8,454 in 2023/2024. In the 2024/2025 financial year, about 705 patients are transported per month on average between Swakopmund, Omaruru, Usakos, Karibib, and other referral hospitals across the country. Luvindao stressed the significant and growing demand for safe, reliable, and timely patient transport.
She added that while the ministry is working to decentralise specialist healthcare services so that patients receive care closer to their homes, transportation remains a crucial lifeline in the interim. In a speech delivered on her behalf, Erongo Governor Natalia |Goagoses described the donation as a lifeline for patients who often face barriers to reaching medical facilities.
|Goagoses further commended R¶ssing Uranium for its consistent support to the health sector, including previous contributions such as infrastructure upgrades, equipment donations, and support for tuberculosis screening campaigns. R¶ssing Uranium Managing Director Johan Coetzee reaffirmed the company’s commitment to being an active development partner in the region.
Coetzee stated, ‘For us, this is not a charity or public relations stunt. We have a long history of working with the ministry, investing in communities, and restoring dignity to those who are not well. While some can afford private healthcare, many cannot. Access to quality healthcare should not be a privilege, but a basic right.’