In Namibia, more than 4 000 public facility patients had been referred to private facilities for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) services over the past five years alone, spending more than N$80m in the process, reports Informanté.
Now, marking a major milestone 36 years after independence, the government recently inaugurated its first MRI machine for public sector patients, which it expects will save about N$16m annually in private-sector medical referrals.
The state-of-the-art facility at Windhoek Central Hospital was described by Health Minister Esperance Luvindao as “a pivotal, historic turning point for healthcare delivery in Namibia” and the first of its kind in the public sector since 1990.
“By bringing this latest diagnostic imaging directly into the public sector – which serves 85% of our population – we reaffirm that world-class medical technology must never be a privilege reserved for the few, but a standard accessible to all.”
She added that MRI machine was the first of several planned investments. The Ministry is procuring key medical equipment directly from manufacturers for distribution countrywide to decongest facilities and enhance public health capacity, she added.
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