Luvindao eyes air ambulance service

Patience Makwele

Health Minister Dr Esperance Luvindao on Monday announced that the ministry of health and social services (MoHSS) is planning to establish Namibia’s first dedicated national air ambulance service as part of an ambitious drive to overhaul emergency medical care and improve access to life-saving treatment for patients in remote communities.

The announcement comes as the ministry prepares to procure 30 additional ambulances during the 2026/27 financial year to strengthen a fleet that has struggled to meet the demands of a country where long distances often mean the difference between life and death.

The planned expansion builds on the government’s efforts to modernise emergency medical services after the ministry procured and distributed 36 fully equipped ambulances during the previous financial year.

“In a country as vast as ours, the ability to stabilise a patient in the air while bypassing hours of road travel is a necessity, not a luxury,” Luvindao said.