Namibia, China launch paired hospital cooperation mechanism

WINDHOEK -- The governments of Namibia and China on Wednesday launched the China-Namibia paired hospital cooperation mechanism at Walvis Bay Hospital, in the port town of Walvis Bay, about 395 km from Windhoek, the Namibian capital.

The event also marked a medical equipment donation, valued at 1.07 million Namibian dollars (about 55,000 U.S. dollars), by the Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The donated items include essential medical equipment like ventilators, patient monitors, defibrillation monitors, baby incubators, portable suctions, a telemedicine collaboration platform, and a cloud imaging system.

Namibia's Chief Medical Officer of the Erongo Health Directorate Leonard Kabongo highlighted the collaborative effort between the two hospitals to implement medical projects to bolster the provision of high-quality healthcare services in the southwestern African nation.

The initiative also seeks to install a CT scan at Walvis Bay Hospital, anticipated to be operational by the first quarter of the upcoming year. Additionally, a telemedicine facility will be set up to facilitate collaboration between Walvis Bay and Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, he added.

According to Kabongo, the Walvis Bay Hospital had long been without a CT scan and all patients had been referred to intermediate hospitals in the capital of Windhoek.

Wei Jinming, counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Namibia, said the two parties' full cooperation culminated in the successful launch of the China-Namibia paired hospital cooperation mechanism in Walvis Bay.

"This year is a significant year for the medical communities in China and Namibia. Cooperation between the two countries in the field of medical and health services continues to deepen," he noted, adding that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Chinese government's dispatch of medical teams to Africa.

The event was attended by various Namibian officials as well as medical experts from both hospitals and the 15th Chinese medical team.

Meanwhile, Wang Renyuan, head of the Health Commission of Zhejiang Province stressed that this collaboration will advance the high-quality development of cooperation between China and Namibia, urging both sides to continue their joint efforts.