The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) has expressed serious concerns over the health ministry’s state of preparedness for the coronavirus, right in the heels of minister Kalumbi Shangula confirming the presence of two cases in Namibia.

Here are some of SPYL’s concerns in a statement sent to the minister:

1. Visitors entering are not being thoroughly screened to ensure that they are not infected by COVID-19.
2. SPYL has received witness statements from experienced medical practitioners stating that those who are deployed to perform these screenings do not have the correct protective wear. This places their lives and those of whom they are screening at grave risk.
3. The SPYL, based on expert advice, is not convinced that enough strategies have been put in place to mitigate against a possible outbreak. This is particularly true if we look at the issue of self-quarantine for fourteen days. In our view, and as advised by experts, this will jeopardize every effort that our government has put in place to curb the COVID-19 outbreak in Namibia. It is our informed opinion that we need to review this strategy as soon as possible. The ministry, in tandem with the respective state security agencies should consider putting proper mechanisms
in place to ensure that the quarantine is effective and does not compromise the lives of citizens. Self-quarantine relies on individuals to do the right thing and avoid contact with others. The policy relies on simple trust and nothing more, we cannot place the lives of immune-compromised citizens, the elderly and unborn babies in the hands of a few people whom we trust to do the right thing and self-quarantine.
The Ministry should step in and introduce well-equipped quarantine wards at our hospitals, if the state hospitals do not have such capacity, resources should be mobilized to make this possible at our private medical establishments.