The Ministry of Health and Social Services on Thursday expressed concerns that alleged delays at Khorixas State Hospital could be seen as government neglect ahead of the elections.
Ministry spokesperson Walters Kamaya has warned the public to remain vigilant about potential misinformation campaigns designed to paint a negative picture of government services.
This follows complaints from local pensioner Kristof Katjivena, who reported waiting for hours at Khorixas State Hospital, along with over a hundred other patients, for basic services.
“We were just waiting here in long queues from early this morning – many coming from far,” he told The Namibian last week, claiming a lack of medical staff. Katjivena called for the media’s intervention.
Calls to the hospital yielded limited responses, with staff unable to provide clear answers regarding the hospital’s current leadership or staffing situation.
Kamaya, however, said the hospital has three doctors and suggested that the long wait times could be due to higher-than-expected patient numbers.
He said the ministry has recommended the recruitment of three doctors to Khorixas in the last quarter, “but they [the doctors] declined the offer”.
“Three more doctors have been recommended once again. I hope these ones will accept the offer,” he said.
Kamaya said complaints like these could easily become rallying points in election-year debates. “In such times, it’s easy for genuine issues to be weaponised, feeding narratives that the government is failing in its duties,” he said.
“These claims can be amplified without proper verification, creating a misleading perception that could unfairly damage public confidence in government services.”
He said media coverage should aim to distinguish between facts and politics.
The health ministry emphasised its commitment to improving healthcare accessibility and addressing service bottlenecks.
“We must guard against the tendency to transform isolated incidents into campaign fuel, which risks diverting focus from genuine, long-term improvements in public services,” Kamaya warned.
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