Namibia: Distance No Longer a Death Sentence

A 12-year-old boy who needed urgent medical attention died while waiting to be transferred from Katima Mulilo to Windhoek, a tragedy that has now become one of the reasons behind Namibia’s first State-owned air ambulance service.

The boy’s death, followed by the loss of patients who could not be transported quickly enough after a road accident along the Otjiwarongo road, exposed the cost of delays in Namibia’s emergency healthcare system.

Health minister Esperance Luvindao recounted the painful…