NEWS

Mining corporate giant Rössing Uranium this week came to the aid of the health ministry with a
donation of a 54-seater bus for the Erongo Region. The donation is aimed to relief a limping
transportation headache in the region, with patients often struggling to get specialised medical
attention outside the region because of transportation.

At the donation, the mine’s Managing Director Johan Coetzee also announced that the donation
comes with a commitment to do service and maintenance of the bus for the next two years,
bringing the value of the donation to an accumulative N$1.5 million.

Coetzee stressed that amongst the many critical sectors that are fundamentals for a functional
society, healthcare will always be up there. He said in this time and era, government cannot do
it alone, which leaves a vacuum for corporate Namibia to fill and act as ethical, compassionate
and forward-thinking corporates.

“For Rössing Uranium, supporting the health sector is not charity. It is an investment in our
communities, its’ people, and the dignity of the people. Today’s gesture represents our
commitment to the community to ensure that access to healthcare should never be limited by
distance or difficulty. This bus is our way of supporting the region’s health care facilities in its
tireless mission to serve all who walk through its doors, regardless of their background or
circumstance.”

Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Esperance Luvindao accepted the donation, thanking
Rössing Uranium for the gesture while highlighting that with the growing population of the region
places an increased demand on the health system of the region.

“While the ministry has been proactive in bolstering staff and recruiting clinicians including
specialized medical doctors to meet these demands, the need for reliable patient transportation
remains paramount. Many patients require specialized services not available within the region,
necessitating transfers to other healthcare facilities,” said Luvindao.

She added; “this donation by Rössing Uranium will not only provide much-needed comfort to
our patients during what can be a stressful and challenging time, but it will also significantly  reduce transportation costs for the ministry by consolidating patient transfers, removing the
need for multiple vehicles making the same journey. Imagine a patient, weakened by illness, no
longer having to endure a cramped and uncomfortable ride in a small vehicle. Instead, they can
travel in a spacious, climate-controlled environment, with room to recline and relax, reducing
anxiety and physical strain.

This donation to the health ministry by Rössing Uranium highlighted the mine’s continued efforts
to giving back to the community. The mine earlier this year made a donation to this very same
ministry to the value of N$1.25 million for the upgrade of infrastructure in the towns of
Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Usakos.