Africa-Press – Namibia. Health facilities in the Musese constituency of the Kavango West region are grappling with persistent electricity challenges that hamper service delivery, particularly at Gcaruhwa Clinic and Rupara Health Centre.
At Gcaruhwa Clinic, enrolled nurse and midwife Christophin Decelestino says the facility treats fewer than 60 patients daily but faces significant operational difficulties, with electricity outages compounding the clinic’s existing challenges.
“The challenge that we have right now is transport and electricity outages. Our facility is very small, especially with maternity cases. When you have a maternity case, it’s likely to lose a baby here because we don’t have everything,” Decelestino adds.
Electricity failures create additional risks, particularly for vaccine storage and emergency cases.
Decelestino appeals to the government to make urgent infrastructure improvements, noting that a gravel road will ensure the timely delivery of medical supplies and the transportation of patients.
“We fail to get our supplies on time or transport a patient to the state hospital due to our very poor roads and lack of transport,” she adds.
At Rupara Health Centre, the electricity crisis is equally severe. Registered nurse and acting supervisor Chrispinus Kanyengo says frequent power outages disrupt daily operations and compromise patient care.
“The only problem is electricity. I don’t know if this electricity issue affects the whole of Kavango West or if it’s only us, but for us it is hampering a lot of our activities,” Kanyengo said during a recent facility assessment.
He emphasised that modern medical equipment depends heavily on electricity, making power cuts particularly problematic.
“These days, we are mostly dependent on new technologies. Our machinery is electrically dependent. The most challenging problem I’ve faced since I arrived here two years back is when electricity trips so frequently,” he said.
The situation becomes critical when the backup generator fails.
“There’s a generator that we were using before, but it developed a fault and until now it has not been fixed. So, when the electricity shuts down, everything is scattered,” Kanyengo added.
Kavango West Health programme officer for infrastructure planning and management in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Boniface Hamutenya, acknowledges the widespread nature of the electricity problem affecting health facilities across the region.
He says the ministry is making efforts to address power supply challenges at various health centres.
The electricity problems, however, have real consequences for patients seeking medical care.
Maria Mukendwa, a community member from the Musese constituency, says she visited Gcaruhwa Clinic during a power outage in November 2025.
“I went there with my sick child at around 21h00 for an emergency, but there was no electricity. The nurse had to use her phone torch to examine my baby. It was very scary because we couldn’t see properly, and I was worried they might miss something important,” Mukendwa recounts.
She says the lack of power meant the clinic’s refrigeration system was not working, raising concerns about vaccine storage.
“The nurse told us some vaccines might not be good because the fridge was not working for many hours. This is not fair to our children.”
Kavango West regional director of health in the ministry Fransiska Hamutenya outlines a comprehensive strategy to address these systemic challenges.
In her resource allocation plan, she notes that immediate steps are being taken to restore power backup systems.
“Rupara Health Centre’s backup power is under repair. A purchase order was issued to a supplier for the repair of a burnt alternator,” Hamutenya says.
The region has further allocated substantial resources for long-term solutions, Hamutenya adds.
“We have budgeted for the procurement of new industrial generators for the health centres with outdated or no backup power for the financial year 2026/27. The region is also looking into the procurement of household generators as backup power.”
Hamutenya says transportation challenges affecting patient referrals and emergency responses are also being addressed.
“Rupara Health Centre’s ambulance is under repair following an accident, and we are anticipating it to be back on the road by January 2026.”
As an interim measure, the region has redistributed resources to maintain emergency services.
“The region received three new ambulances, of which one was allocated to Nankudu District Hospital to assist with emergencies within their district, under which Rupara Health Centre falls.”
Hamutenya acknowledges additional infrastructure challenges beyond electricity and transportation.
“The region is aware of the shortage of staff accommodation across all facilities, and one by one, all needs will be addressed. The health directorate of Kavango West is always in touch with the Directorate of Health Technology and Infrastructure Management in Windhoek for planning purposes.”
The electricity crisis in the Musese constituency’s health facilities highlights broader infrastructure challenges facing rural healthcare delivery in Namibia.
While regional authorities have outlined plans for improvements, healthcare workers and patients continue to bear the immediate consequences of an unreliable power supply.
The situation calls for urgent intervention to ensure that basic healthcare services remain accessible and safe for communities in remote areas, where alternative medical facilities may be hours away by road, Hamutenya adds. – Nampa
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