Staff Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Social Services has provided clarification regarding the temporary power disruption that occurred at Windhoek Central Hospital last week, assuring that the situation was managed effectively and did not put any patients at risk.
The ministry’s Executive Director, Ben Nangombe, revealed that the temporary power disruption took place in the hospital’s West Wing on Friday, 24 January 2025.
“The West Wing of Windhoek Central Hospital, where the temporary power disruption occurred, includes areas such as the main Intensive Care Unit and the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Patients in the affected sections were transferred to other appropriate areas within the hospital. Prompt action and contingency measures ensured that no patient was exposed to risk or danger. No complications were experienced by any patient as a result of the outage,” Nangombe said.
He explained that the disruption was caused by an overflow from a secondary water storage tank that malfunctioned, leading to water seeping into an electricity distribution box, which resulted in a short circuit and the tripping of breakers. Nangombe noted that technicians from the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Ministry of Health and Social Services, and the City of Windhoek attended to the emergency and restored the power supply. He also confirmed that hospital managers were on hand at all times to ensure coordinated action.
“We commend the team of dedicated women and men who responded swiftly and efficiently to the power disruption, thereby ensuring continued care at the national referral hospital. We reiterate our unwavering commitment to providing high-quality, responsive, and reliable healthcare services to all our people at all times,” Nangombe added.
Photo for illustrative purposes only.
