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24 July 2026
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Namibia plans to establish its first dedicated national air ambulance service
Health Minister Dr Esperance Luvindao 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,” Dr Luvindao said.
She said the proposed National Air Ambulance Service will be established in collaboration with partner institutions as part of the government’s long-term strategy to improve emergency patient transport.
According to Dr Luvindao, Namibia’s vast geography continues to present one of the biggest obstacles to healthcare delivery, particularly in rural areas where patients often wait hours for an ambulance to arrive.
She cited Kalkfeld in the Otjozondjupa region as one such community, where residents have relied on ambulances dispatched from Otjiwarongo, more than 60 kilometres away before patients can even begin the journey to hospital.
“When a mother goes into obstructed labour in a remote settlement or a father suffers a stroke kilometres away from the nearest hospital, the distance between them and the doctor is not just a measurement of road, it is the measurement of their survival,” she said.
Dr Luvindao made the announcement during the handover of two fully equipped ambulances donated by the Namport Social Investment Fund (NSIF) to the ministry.
She shared that one of the ambulances has been allocated to Kalkfeld, while the second will be deployed by the ministry to an area identified as having the greatest need.
The Kalkfeld ambulance allocation follows an appeal by the Mee Ndiku and Rev. Ngeno Nakamhela Trust, whose request was prompted by the death of Reverend Ngeno Nakamhela’s wife after repeated difficulties accessing emergency medical transport.
According to the Trust, she missed scheduled medical appointments because no dedicated ambulance was available to transport her to Otjiwarongo State Hospital. By the time emergency transport became available, it was too late.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, NSIF chairperson Amos Shiyuka said the Trust’s request was unlike an ordinary funding application. “It read like a testimony,” he said, describing how the family’s experience highlighted the daily reality faced by many rural communities where emergency healthcare remains constrained by distance rather than medical expertise.
He said the donation was intended not only to support Kalkfeld but also to demonstrate how partnerships between government, communities and the private sector can improve access to essential healthcare services.
Under the arrangement, the Ministry of Health and Social Services will operate the Kalkfeld ambulance through the local clinic while the Trust will be responsible for its maintenance and servicing.
Dr Luvindao said although the ministry has expanded its ambulance fleet in recent years, demand continues to outstrip available resources. She called on mining companies, banks, insurers, retailers, fishing companies and the emerging oil and gas industry to partner with the government in strengthening emergency medical services. “The health of Namibia is our collective responsibility,” she said.
She added that investments in emergency transport should not be viewed as a luxury but as an essential component of a healthcare system capable of delivering timely care regardless of where patients live.
The ministry is expected to provide further details on the proposed air ambulance service, including its implementation model and timelines, as plans for the initiative take shape.
Sources: Windhoek Observer
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,” Dr Luvindao said.
She said the proposed National Air Ambulance Service will be established in collaboration with partner institutions as part of the government’s long-term strategy to improve emergency patient transport.
According to Dr Luvindao, Namibia’s vast geography continues to present one of the biggest obstacles to healthcare delivery, particularly in rural areas where patients often wait hours for an ambulance to arrive.
She cited Kalkfeld in the Otjozondjupa region as one such community, where residents have relied on ambulances dispatched from Otjiwarongo, more than 60 kilometres away before patients can even begin the journey to hospital.
“When a mother goes into obstructed labour in a remote settlement or a father suffers a stroke kilometres away from the nearest hospital, the distance between them and the doctor is not just a measurement of road, it is the measurement of their survival,” she said.
Dr Luvindao made the announcement during the handover of two fully equipped ambulances donated by the Namport Social Investment Fund (NSIF) to the ministry.
She shared that one of the ambulances has been allocated to Kalkfeld, while the second will be deployed by the ministry to an area identified as having the greatest need.
The Kalkfeld ambulance allocation follows an appeal by the Mee Ndiku and Rev. Ngeno Nakamhela Trust, whose request was prompted by the death of Reverend Ngeno Nakamhela’s wife after repeated difficulties accessing emergency medical transport.
According to the Trust, she missed scheduled medical appointments because no dedicated ambulance was available to transport her to Otjiwarongo State Hospital. By the time emergency transport became available, it was too late.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, NSIF chairperson Amos Shiyuka said the Trust’s request was unlike an ordinary funding application. “It read like a testimony,” he said, describing how the family’s experience highlighted the daily reality faced by many rural communities where emergency healthcare remains constrained by distance rather than medical expertise.
He said the donation was intended not only to support Kalkfeld but also to demonstrate how partnerships between government, communities and the private sector can improve access to essential healthcare services.
Under the arrangement, the Ministry of Health and Social Services will operate the Kalkfeld ambulance through the local clinic while the Trust will be responsible for its maintenance and servicing.
Dr Luvindao said although the ministry has expanded its ambulance fleet in recent years, demand continues to outstrip available resources. She called on mining companies, banks, insurers, retailers, fishing companies and the emerging oil and gas industry to partner with the government in strengthening emergency medical services. “The health of Namibia is our collective responsibility,” she said.
She added that investments in emergency transport should not be viewed as a luxury but as an essential component of a healthcare system capable of delivering timely care regardless of where patients live.
The ministry is expected to provide further details on the proposed air ambulance service, including its implementation model and timelines, as plans for the initiative take shape.
Sources: Windhoek Observer