Namibia seeks rural medical aid from China
The Ministry of Health and Social Services has called on China to extend its three-decade medical cooperation beyond major urban centers and directly into Namibia’s underserved rural areas.
Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Hambeleleni Ndjaleka outlined a new vision for the long-standing partnership, emphasizing the need to prioritize specialized clinical training for local doctors and strengthen hospital management systems.
By shifting resources toward rural outreach and technical skill-sharing, the ministry aims to bridge the healthcare gap and ensure patients in the country’s most remote communities receive quality, modernized medical care.
According to Ndjaleka, the next phase of cooperation should be characterized by deeper institutional collaboration, expanded professional development opportunities, research, innovation, and sustainable capacity building.
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Namibia is prioritizing outreach initiatives to ensure advanced healthcare reaches regional facilities that are struggling, with a focus on specialized-to-specialized clinical exchanges, advanced nursing development, and clinical mentorship.
China has dispatched a total of 68 medical team members to Namibia for 30 consecutive years, treating thousands of patients every year, and has provided free Chinese medical services for over 200,000 Namibian people.
The Deputy Director, Health Commission of Zhejiang Province, Yu Xinle, commended the Chinese Medical team to Namibia for providing high-quality medical services to the people over the years and pledged to actively implement the China-Africa Partners Action.
Yu highlighted the importance of specialty co-construction, talent training, and capacity building, and donated over 30 infrared lamps to the Katutura Intermediate Hospital, where the first Chinese medical team set up the acupuncture department in 1996.
