First private hospital in North to be built at Ongwediva

ONGWEDIVA is about to get the first private hospital in northern Namibia.Old Mutual has signed a contract with Ongwediva Medipark (Pty) Limited to fund the hospital’s construction.

Other partners include a number of black entrepreneurs and the Ongwediva Town Council. Old Mutual Namibia’s Midina Infrastructure Fund will provide N$18 million for the first phase of the project.This amount is required for building the hospital, and a further N$7,5 million is needed for the medical equipment.They will be funded by a local commercial bank.The total cost of this first phase will be N$25,5 million.The new hospital will have 115 beds, including general wards, an intensive care unit, doctors’ consulting rooms, laboratory, neonatal high care, as well as day and casualty wards.After the second phase, the hospital will also have an X-ray department, an isolation ward, VIP wards, paediatric wards and a pharmacy, and will also house optometric facilities, a primary health care clinic, physiotherapy services, a mortuary and medical aid administration offices.The promoters described the hospital as a one-stop shop for all medical services.Construction is expected to begin by October 20 this year, and the hospital is expected to be up and running within 14 months, by September 2006.The hospital will be located in central Ongwediva and will create about 300 direct and indirect job opportunities for the town of about 25 000 inhabitants.”It’s something for the people.It is going to boost economic development of the town, and once we have it, it will attract other businesses into the town too.A number of people there have medical aid, and they want to have good services and treatment.It will benefit not only people in Ongwediva, but in surrounding towns too,” Ongwediva’s Mayor, Erastus Uutoni, told The Namibian.Ongwediva Medipark will be totally owned and operated by Namibians, with Erongo Medical Services (Pty) Limited, which is operating the Welwitschia Medical Centre in Walvis Bay, serving as technical partner.Asked why Ongwediva was chosen as the location of the hospital, David Imbili, one of the entrepreneurs involved in the project, said: “In Ongwediva there are lots of possibilities, and there is a need for this kind of services there.Half of the population of Namibia is based in the north, and we are close to Angola.The hospital will also be used by those neighbouring people [Angolans].Ongwediva is a clean and well planned town, and growing.”It is estimated that the hospital will start making a profit after three years.”We decided to fund the hospital because it makes business sense.It will provide improvement of life to people in that area, and is likely to make positive difference.Also, we want to mobilise and keep money in this country,” said Johannes !Gawaxab, the CEO of Old Mutual.Old Mutual’s Managing Infrastructure Development in Namibia (Midina) fund aims to deliver investment returns by providing financing to local authorities and investing in social and commercial projects.Old Mutual Namibia’s Midina Infrastructure Fund will provide N$18 million for the first phase of the project.This amount is required for building the hospital, and a further N$7,5 million is needed for the medical equipment.They will be funded by a local commercial bank.The total cost of this first phase will be N$25,5 million.The new hospital will have 115 beds, including general wards, an intensive care unit, doctors’ consulting rooms, laboratory, neonatal high care, as well as day and casualty wards.After the second phase, the hospital will also have an X-ray department, an isolation ward, VIP wards, paediatric wards and a pharmacy, and will also house optometric facilities, a primary health care clinic, physiotherapy services, a mortuary and medical aid administration offices.The promoters described the hospital as a one-stop shop for all medical services.Construction is expected to begin by October 20 this year, and the hospital is expected to be up and running within 14 months, by September 2006.The hospital will be located in central Ongwediva and will create about 300 direct and indirect job opportunities for the town of about 25 000 inhabitants.”It’s something for the people.It is going to boost economic development of the town, and once we have it, it will attract other businesses into the town too.A number of people there have medical aid, and they want to have good services and treatment.It will benefit not only people in Ongwediva, but in surrounding towns too,” Ongwediva’s Mayor, Erastus Uutoni, told The Namibian.Ongwediva Medipark will be totally owned and operated by Namibians, with Erongo Medical Services (Pty) Limited, which is operating the Welwitschia Medical Centre in Walvis Bay, serving as technical partner.Asked why Ongwediva was chosen as the location of the hospital, David Imbili, one of the entrepreneurs involved in the project, said: “In Ongwediva there are lots of possibilities, and there is a need for this kind of services there.Half of the population of Namibia is based in the north, and we are close to Angola.The hospital will also be used by those neighbouring people [Angolans].Ongwediva is a clean and well planned town, and growing.”It is estimated that the hospital will start making a profit after three years.”We decided to fund the hospital because it makes business sense.It will provide improvement of life to people in that area, and is likely to make positive difference.Also, we want to mobilise and keep money in this country,” said Johannes !Gawaxab, the CEO of Old Mutual.Old Mutual’s Managing Infrastructure Development in Namibia (Midina) fund aims to deliver investment returns by providing financing to local authorities and investing in social and commercial projects.