Seringkop community no longer needs to travel to Outjo for primary health care
For a sick or injured person, travelling only five kilometres to a clinic is a major obstacle. In the remote areas where reliable transport is often not available to local communities, having to travel 110 km for medical treatment effectively prevents that person from being treated at all.
The resettlement Bushmen community at Seringkop in the Outjo district may be only one farm away from Etosha National Park’s Anderson Gate, but getting there by road requires taking an almost 60 km detour. Then they still have to enter the park, an administrative hassle in itself, if they want to visit the clinic at Okaukuejo restcamp. Their closest civilian medical facility is at Outjo some 110 km away.
Having immediate access to a reliable treatment centre on Seringkop became a reality for the community members last week when the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon Juliet Kavetuna, officially opened the Chief Dawid //Khamuxab Clinic, erected and operated with the support of four private sector organisations. The facility is named after the community’s leader.
The modern clinic is located in a refurbished shipping container, courtesy of Namport. It is stocked with supplies sponsored by Hochland Roundtable 145 and Standard Bank Namibia while tourism operator, Wildlife Safaris ensures that the logistics are functional.
Welcoming the Bushmen and the sponsors, the Deputy Minister said mobile clinics represent an integral component of the healthcare system that serves vulnerable populations and promotes high-quality care at low cost. They also improve access for vulnerable populations, bolster prevention and chronic disease management, and reduce costs. At Seringkop, the clinic is staffed by a qualified medical professional thanks to the financial support from the sponsors.
Caption: Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon Juliet Kavetuna (second from right) with Chief Dawid //Khamuxab (centre) of the Seringkop community at the official opening of their own clinic. The event was witnessed by representatives of the four sponsors, the Namibia Ports Authority, Standard Bank of Namibia, Hochland Roundtable 145 and Wildlife Safaris.
