Vision April 2026 creates special wards for 294 officials at 7 hospitals
The first phase of the much-talked-about Vision April 2026 has created designated wards with specialised facilities for use by, among others, the selected 294 high-ranking officials.
Vision April 2026, which started on the first of this month, is a Presidential directive requiring senior government officials to use public health facilities as part of a phased plan to overhaul the public healthcare system.
The programme seeks to improve access to quality healthcare, strengthen infrastructure, enhance accountability, and integrate Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (PSEMAS) beneficiaries more effectively into the public system to remove the long-standing two-tier healthcare structure.
The rollout will be limited strictly to the identified officials, with the government confirming that dependents are not included in Phase I of implementation.
Health spokesperson Walters Kamaya confirmed to Namibian Sun yesterday that designated wards and facilities have been set aside at each of the selected hospitals to cater for the officials and PSEMAS patients.
In her State of the Nation Address on Wednesday, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the government has already awarded N$164 million to renowned medical equipment manufacturers, with delivery expected over the next three months.
The health ministry has also undertaken a broader procurement of essential medical equipment valued at N$239 million and recruited 2,307 health workers since December 2025.
Special services
A frequently asked question (FAQ) pamphlet seen by Namibian Sun indicates that phase 1 will not include the dependents of the selected high-ranking officials.
The programme targets senior government officials and public office bearers, including the President, the Vice President, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, the Attorney-General, the National Planning Commission Director-General, deputy ministers, presidential advisors and press secretary, the chief of protocol, members of parliament, regional governors, and the Secretary to the Cabinet.
The list also includes the executive directors, the Secretary to the National Assembly & National Council, the Chief Electoral & Referenda Officer, the Commissioner-General of Correctional Service, the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief of Defence Force, and the National Assembly Speaker.
The officials will receive care at seven designated facilities: Windhoek Central Hospital, Katutura Intermediate Hospital, Oshakati Intermediate Hospital, Rundu Intermediate Hospital, the Swakopmund/Walvis Bay complex, Onandjokwe Intermediate Hospital, and Keetmanshoop District Hospital.
At these facilities, services will span emergency and ambulance care, intensive care units (ICU), theatre services, medical imaging including X-rays and CT scans, as well as specialised care such as oncology, cardiology, orthopaedics, ear, nose and throat (ENT), ophthalmology, maternity services, neonatal intensive care (NICU), paediatrics, rehabilitation and dialysis, supported by pharmacy services.
The identified hospitals will undergo strengthening through infrastructure upgrades, the installation of modern medical equipment, updated furniture, the recruitment of additional health workers, improved supply of essential medicines, and the introduction of advanced electronic billing systems and related IT infrastructure.
The FAQs pamphlet states that phase I does not include the dependents of officials, and that private doctors will be allowed to attend to their patients admitted to any designated hospital.
"As private specialists currently have admission privileges at various private hospitals where they are not permanently employed, they will be granted similar privileges to admit and attend to their patients at State health facilities," the FAQs says.
Private providers
The pamphlet also states that if any of the selected top officials find themselves in an area without designated health facilities, they may use private health facilities.
Where a specific level of care or specialist service is not yet available at a public health facility within a region, existing referral mechanisms, including the utilisation of private providers, will remain in place.
PSEMAS clients will continue to be billed, with revenue generated from retained claims reinvested to strengthen the public healthcare system.
Access to medicines will follow a mixed service model for both inpatients and outpatients, including prescriptions filled through community pharmacies and arrangements for medicines to be delivered to facilities for admitted patients.
The government has also moved to address concerns about potential preferential treatment, stating that standard operating procedures have been developed to ensure efficient patient flow and maintain service quality across the seven facilities. Authorities emphasised that upgrades, equipment such as CT scans and MRI machines, and improved services will benefit all patients, not only PSEMAS clients.
Measures are being implemented to reduce waiting times and maintain service quality, including infrastructure expansion, staff redeployment and recruitment, skills enhancement, improved hospital management systems such as appointment scheduling and referral pathways, and the use of telemedicine for non-urgent cases.
Expansion
The government said the initiative is structured into phases, with Phase II expected to start in 2027, although an exact date will be communicated later.
The next phase will build on progress achieved in Phase I and expand access to additional facilities, with a focus on strengthening district-level service delivery, particularly in emergency, surgical, diagnostic and maternal health services, while enhancing referral capacity and reducing pressure on higher-level hospitals.
The health ministry will further intensify engagement with stakeholders—including trade unions, health workers, the private sector, and medical aid groups—through meetings, radio, and social media platforms to manage expectations, reduce misunderstandings, and foster cooperation.
