Minsitry admits failure as patient bus runs out of fuel
The health ministry has been forced into a rare public admission of failure after a government patient transport bus travelling from Windhoek to Katima Mulilo ran out of fuel mid-journey, leaving vulnerable patients stranded and one patient’s condition deteriorating.
Health ministry spokesperson Walters Kamaya told Network Media Hub (NMH) that the ministry acknowledges the seriousness of the incident involving the bus travelling to Katima Mulilo that was stranded in Divundu due to insufficient fuel.
“We regret the inconvenience caused, particularly the impact on the patient whose condition deteriorated during the delay.”
The same question was also asked by Member of Parliament Boniface Susiku who pressed the ministry over the now-controversial patient transport incident.
Susiku demanded accountability, asking the ministry to confirm or deny the incident and to table a comprehensive report detailing what transpired, including who was responsible for the failure.
He further questioned how the ministry could justify a situation in which patient transport is compromised by something as fundamental as fuel availability, and what this reveals about planning and financial controls within the referral system.
Susiku also pressed the ministry on the existence and enforcement of protocols to ensure that patients in transit are not exposed to avoidable risks, and whether those protocols were followed in this case.
He demanded clarity on what disciplinary or corrective action has been taken against those accountable, as well as what system reforms would be implemented to prevent a recurrence.
The ministry confirmed that the bus, transporting patients from Windhoek to Katima Mulilo, was left stranded at Divundu for more than two hours after running out of fuel allocation, raising serious concerns about the reliability of Namibia’s patient referral system.
Responding to the questions, Kamaya said the ministry had already initiated corrective measures. He revealed that a meeting was convened on Monday, 13 April 2026, between the ministry’s fleet management division and Standard Bank under the Blue Fuel Management system.
“Among the key resolutions discussed was the need to increase the monthly fuel thresholds to ensure that allocated limits are not prematurely depleted, thereby preventing disruptions to critical transport services,” he said.
Kamaya added that the ministry remains committed to improving the reliability and safety of patient transport services and preventing similar incidents in future.
Similarly, last year, Namibian Sun reported that patients, drivers and nursing staff travelling from Windhoek Central Hospital to Oshakati have raised concerns over what they describe as meagre food rations provided by Nutrifood, the company awarded the tender to supply travel food packs on the northbound route.
They claimed the packs include just two boiled eggs, a small juice, a small bottle of water, three slices of bread and an orange or apple for the seven-hour trip. Nutrifood, in a joint venture with Trade Vest Holding Group, was awarded the 36-month contract, which runs from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027.
The food complaints stem from patients who are transported from Oshakati to Windhoek every Monday for medical treatment and return to the north every Wednesday. While patients who spoke to this publication reported no issues with the food provided to them on the trip to Windhoek, they said the rations provided on the return trip are inadequate. Huge difference
Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) spokesperson Johanna Kambala said the tender specifications stipulate that patients must receive two bottles of water, two fruits, eight slices of bread, two protein fillings, two pre-packed cheese portions, one pre-packed butter and a fruit. According to Kambala, the service provider quoted a unit price of N$119.70 per travelling pack, in line with the specifications outlined in the official bidding documents.
As per contract Nutrifood managing director Dirk van Schalkwyk told Namibian Sun this week that this is not the first time the company has received such complaints.
"When we began operating under this new contract in April of last year, there were many complaints, particularly from patients who were hospitalised during the transition from the old contract to the new one," he said.
He acknowledged that there had been significant changes and that food quantities had been reduced due to the specifications under the new tender,” he said.
