USAKOS, 14 MAR (NAMPA)

A pre-delivery maternity shelter valued at N.dollars 1.1 million has been inaugurated at the Usakos State Hospital on Thursday, to prevent maternal mortality in the region.
It was made possible through a corporation between the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) and the Namibia Ports Authority (Namport).
The shelter will accommodate expectant mothers who have to travel long distances to access a nearby health facility, when they are closer to their due dates.
Receiving the shelter, Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, raised concern on the long distances some women have to endure during labour, which in most cases leads to maternal mortality.
"The distance travelled by an expectant mother plays a major role in the outcome of her pregnancy", he said.
The facility consists of two separate bedrooms, 10 beds in total, two toilets and showers, a kitchen and a lounge.
Plans to erect a similar facility at the Omaruru State Hospital are also underway.
Namport's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bisey /Uirab, in a speech read on his behalf, noted that this is one of the entity's objectives of ploughing back part of its profits to create sustainability in the society under its four main critical areas, among them, health.
"Although we are based in Erongo and //Kharas regions, our corporate social investment footprint covers the whole country and we endeavor to ensure that it is felt across Namibia.
We also take conscious and deliberate efforts to ensure the distribution of our funds throughout all regions, through the Namport Social Investment Fund (NSIF)".
According to the CEO, NSIF speaks to the corporate social investment aspirations set out in the Harambee Prosperity Plan, NDP 5 and Vision 2030.

SOURCE: NAMPA - IB/EK/HP

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