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Namibia: Oxygen shortage in hospitals as Covid surges

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  • Namibia: Oxygen shortage in hospitals as Covid surges

    Source: https://www.namibian.com.na/102650/r...built-for-this

    'Health system was never built for this'
    News - National | 2021-06-18

    SHELLEYGAN PETERSEN, ARLANA SHIKONGO and CHARMAINE NGATJIHEUE

    AS the number of new coronavirus infections and deaths in the country increases on a daily basis, hospitals have been forced to leave some rooms empty because of the shortage of oxygen.

    Some doctors have predicted that the situation could get worse in the coming weeks.

    On Wednesday, The Namibian visited the Covid-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at Windhoek Central Hospital and found that a room which can accommodate at least four patients was empty because of the lack of oxygen the hospital is experiencing.

    Health executive director Ben Nangombe earlier this week said oxygen tanks were recently installed at Katutura Intermediate Hospital, while other hospitals like Windhoek Central Hospital had to continue relying on oxygen cylinders.

    As of Wednesday, the health ministry had reported that 400 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, 84 of whome were in the intensive care unit and 56 in high care.

    “The health system was never built for this,” Nangombe said.

    Health and social services minister Kalumbi Shangula on Wednesday said the hospital has 72 high-care and 22 ICU beds.

    The Namibian found that the hospital's capacity is 17, however, only 11 patients can currently be accommodated due to the shortage of oxygen.

    Oxygen cylinders that were in the room were empty.

    Shangula yesterday admitted that the oxygen situation is concerning.

    He said it not only affects Namibia, adding that the ministry is working with private suppliers.

    Due to demand, however, private suppliers' capacity had also been affected..

  • #2
    Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57670429

    Covid in Namibia: Mortuaries at capacity
    Published 1 day ago

    Namibia's President Hage Geingob has said his country is facing a "dark and sombre moment" as coronavirus deaths and cases rapidly increase.

    The southern African nation is currently experiencing the worst daily death rate on the continent.

    The health system is stretched and the country's mortuaries "have reached maximum capacity", Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula said.

    The president announced new restrictions to stem the rise in cases.

    These include extending a night-time curfew and stopping movement between the country's regions.

    Addressing the nation, Mr Geingob said that 513 Namibians had died from the virus in the last 15 days.

    This is a huge blow for a country of just 2.5 million.

    On average, 15 people per million are dying every day in Namibia, a higher number than Seychelles (13 per million) and Tunisia (7.5 per million), and among the worst rates in the world, according to the Our World in Data website.

    South Africa, which has the continent's highest number of total deaths from coronavirus - just over 60,000 - has a daily death rate of three per million.

    Everyone in Namibia has either buried a close relative who has died from Covid or knows someone who has, said the health minister, who was speaking after the president.

    "Our country is literally in an existential struggle against this pandemic. We are in a fight for our very lives," Dr Shangula added...


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    • #3
      Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57748119



      Covid in Namibia: 'Fifteen of my relatives have died'
      By Samantha Granville
      Windhoek, Namibia
      Published 14 hours ago

      Former Namibian football star Marley Ngarizemo has lost 15 relatives including his father, brother, sister-in-law and an aunt since the third wave of Covid hit the southern African nation last month.

      Another six currently are in hospital.

      "You do not know whether the world is ending," says the 42-year-old, who played for Namibia at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.

      "You can compare it to a tsunami, you can compare this to a volcano, you can compare it to genocide. I don't know. It's like there is poison in the water, and every drop you take might have it, or might not have it."

      Namibia, which has a population of 2.5 million, currently has the world's highest daily death rate, at 22 per million people, according to Our World in Data. Tunisia has the second worst rate at 13 and Suriname the third at 10.

      To help cope with the continuing rise in cases, the government has built makeshift hospitals to accommodate patients. But even with those, health facilities and healthcare workers cannot keep up.

      Not only are the number of sick Namibians rising, but so are the number who need to be treated in hospital.

      The new isolation centre at the main hospital in the capital, Windhoek, is an unassuming building.

      It looks like it was dropped into the middle of the car park.
      Oxygen shortage

      Before they enter the ward, the nurses have to put on full protective equipment, with multiple layers of masks and gloves, and special boots. It takes 15 minutes.

      The nurses are constantly going through this procedure so that they are able to monitor the the oxygen levels of patients, most of whom are sleeping or are in a semi-conscious state...

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