Also known as: WCH · Windhoek Central Hospital State mortuary · Mental Health Unit at Windhoek Central Hospital
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
New Era
Windhoek Central Hospital provides mental health services at its Mental Health Unit
“Currently, mental health services are provided at only two specialised facilities in the country, namely the Mental Health Unit at Windhoek Central Hospital and Ward 16 at the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital.”
91 500 mental health cases in 2025The Namibian
Windhoek Central Hospital has known Seibeb as a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia since April 2022
“She recorded in the report that Seibeb has been known at the psychiatry department of Windhoek Central Hospital as a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia since April 2022.”
Report on naked State House intruder gets lawyer’s attentionNew Era
Windhoek Central Hospital had hot-water system restored and bath-to-shower conversions completed in wards
“At Windhoek Central Hospital, the hot-water system was restored, and bath-to-shower conversions were completed in wards.”
210km railway upgradedThe Namibian
Windhoek Central Hospital hosted World Breastfeeding Week commemoration
“Speaking at the commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week at Windhoek Central Hospital yesterday, Ndjaleka said creating sustainable support systems for breastfeeding mothers requires action beyond the health sector and into workplaces.”
Breastfeeding at work: Ministry urges employers to support mothersWindhoek Observer
Windhoek Central Hospital hosted launch of World Breastfeeding Week 2026
“Launching World Breastfeeding Week 2026 at Windhoek Central Hospital on Monday, deputy minister Suzan Ndjaleka said the initiative forms part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening support systems for mothers after the 2024 SMART Nutrition Survey revealed that only 49% of infants aged zero to five months are exclusively breastfed.”
Govt orders breastfeeding reforms as exclusive rates remain below 50%New Era
Windhoek Central Hospital employed Hileni Indongo as ward assistant
“She worked as a ward assistant at Windhoek Central Hospital.”
Student nurse misses out on MVA Fund paymentThe Namibian
Windhoek Central Hospital ordered emergency CT scan revealing tumour behind patient's right eye
“It was only at Windhoek Central Hospital's eye clinic that doctors ordered an emergency computed tomography (CT) scan, which revealed a tumour behind her right eye.”
When cancer comes backNamibian Sun
Windhoek Central Hospital is alleged to have performed tonsil and adenoid surgery by general practitioner without ENT specialist
“Court papers claim that the December 2024 surgery at Windhoek Central Hospital was performed by a general practitioner in the absence of the designated ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist.”
N$17m lawsuit claims child blinded, paralysed after state hospital surgeryNamibian Sun
Windhoek Central Hospital allegedly failed to properly manage complications and cardiac arrest during and after the procedure
“The lawsuit also alleges that medical staff negligently failed to properly manage complications and cardiac arrest during and after the procedure.”
N$17m lawsuit claims child blinded, paralysed after state hospital surgeryThe Namibian
Windhoek Central Hospital faces shortages of essential chronic medication for hypertension, diabetes and ophthalmology
“Shortages of essential chronic medication for hypertension, diabetes and ophthalmology at Windhoek Central Hospital could result in the suspension of surgeries and put patients at risk of permanent blindness.”
Blindness risk as state hospitals run out of medicineBank Windhoek's Cancer Apple Project handed over N$4 million to the Cancer Association of Namibia following its 2026 fundraising drive to support children with cancer. The funds will support the association's Children Fighting Cancer in Namibia programme, which assists young patients and their families.
1 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Bank Windhoek's Cancer Apple Project handed over N$4 million to the Cancer Association of Namibia following its 2026 fundraising drive to support children with cancer. The funds will support the association's Children Fighting Cancer in Namibia programme, which assists young patients and their families.
1 September 2026 · The Namibian →
A High Court judge has ordered the medical officer of Windhoek Correctional Facility to recommend the release of inmate Khamastar Ndukireepo (49), who became paralysed while serving a 20-year murder sentence. The judge found the medical officer's earlier refusal to recommend release on medical grounds conflicted with constitutional protections of fundamental rights and human dignity.
24 August 2026 · The Namibian →
The Ministry of Health and Social Services reported 11 489 people admitted for mental health treatment during the 2024/25 financial year, with 91 544 total mental health cases and 123 deaths. Chief health programme officer Magdalena Didalelwa attributed the burden to stigma, discrimination, family distress, and social ills, and called for stronger multi-sectoral collaboration in schools to improve early identification and support.
20 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia recorded 91 544 new mental health cases during the 2024/25 financial year, with 11 489 patients admitted for treatment and 123 deaths. Chief health programme officer Magdalena Didalelwa noted that stigma, limited awareness, and undiagnosed cases mean statistics represent only a fraction of the actual mental health burden.
20 August 2026 · New Era →
National Council parliamentarians have welcomed Namibia's new mental health bill but warn that the legislation could fail without adequate government infrastructure, staff and funding. The bill seeks to repeal the 1973 Mental Health Act and introduce a modern, rights-based framework promoting community-based care, early intervention and protection of patients' rights.
19 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Members of Parliament have backed Namibia's proposed Mental Health Bill 2025 but warned that its reforms could fail without adequate funding, specialised staff, infrastructure, and services reaching rural communities. MPs called for mental health units at regional hospitals and trained staff at district facilities, citing that services remain concentrated in Windhoek while regions struggle to access specialised care.
19 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Namibia's new Mental Health Bill, applauded in June, confronts operational challenges: the system is severely stretched with too few psychiatrists, inadequate resources, limited community services, and heavy reliance on a single Windhoek facility. In the 2023–2024 fiscal year, over 91,500 outpatient consultations, 11,400 inpatient admissions, and 542 deaths were reported.
17 August 2026 · New Era →
Defence lawyer Milton Engelbrecht says he needs time to consider a psychiatric evaluation report on his client, Giano Seibeb (29), who was arrested at State House in Windhoek on 30 April after allegedly being found naked on the premises. Seibeb's case has been postponed to 4 September.
13 August 2026 · The Namibian →
The government clinic at Aus in the ||Kharas region lacks diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma medications in stock and has no dedicated ambulance for emergency patients. A resident reports having to forgo medication due to cost when prescriptions cannot be filled at the clinic pharmacy.
12 August 2026 · The Namibian →
The Ministry of Works and Transport upgraded and completed 210 kilometres of railway infrastructure during the 2025/26 financial year as part of efforts to upgrade, construct, maintain and modernise the national railway network through TransNamib. Progress was also recorded on multiple rail projects including the Kranzberg–Otjiwarongo upgrade, where 16,300 tonnes of rails and 48 turnouts were delivered representing 40% completion of Lot 1.
11 August 2026 · New Era →
Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Hambelela Ndjaleka reported that less than half of Namibian infants are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life, citing the 2024 SMART Nutrition Survey which found only 49 percent of children aged 0–5 months are exclusively breastfed. Ndjaleka called for stronger workplace, community, and health facility support for mothers, including implementation of "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding" in maternity wards and provision of robust maternity leave and breastfeeding facilities by both public and private sectors.
9 August 2026 · Informanté →
A teacher convicted of murdering his wife in a knife attack in their Windhoek home in April 2019 has been sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment. Acting judge Herman January rejected the defendant's claims of automatism and amnesia during the fatal stabbing.
8 August 2026 · The Namibian →
The Namibia Employers' Federation supports reasonable measures enabling mothers to continue breastfeeding after returning to work, but has cautioned against a one-size-fits-all approach, noting that employers operate under vastly different circumstances in size, resources, and operating conditions.
5 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Deputy health and social services minister Suzan Ndjaleka has called on public and private sector employers to introduce breastfeeding-friendly workplace policies, including maternity leave, dedicated breastfeeding corners, and flexible hours, saying mothers should not have to choose between their careers and their children's health.
4 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's Health Ministry has announced a nationwide rollout of the "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding" across health facilities after a 2024 survey found that only 49% of infants aged zero to five months are exclusively breastfed and early weaning onto inadequate foods is driving malnutrition and childhood illness.
4 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
A student nurse says the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund has not compensated her for a road accident from October 2022, forcing her to pay her own medical bills at private hospitals. She alleges the MVA Fund failed to register her case despite police notification of her transfer to Windhoek.
28 July 2026 · New Era →
Government lawyers are accused of mishandling health-related legal cases and potentially sharing settlement payouts with senior ministry officials and claimants' lawyers. Between 2019 and 2024, the health ministry spent N$14.7m on medical claims, with about N$5.5m spent over the past year, amid delays in a nationwide medico-legal training programme.
6 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Health experts in Namibia have announced plans for the country's first research into vitiligo and establishment of a national patient support group, responding to widespread misconceptions that the skin condition is caused by witchcraft, is contagious, or linked to HIV. Despite growing concern over the stigma faced by patients, the country currently lacks national data on the condition, particularly affecting people in rural communities.
1 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Health experts and people living with vitiligo called for greater awareness and education to support those affected by the condition and correct misconceptions. A dermatologist explained that vitiligo is a non-contagious skin condition caused by the destruction of melanocytes and stressed it is not witchcraft, a curse, or anyone's fault.
30 June 2026 · Informanté →
Khomas governor Sam Nujoma said the region has recorded 95% HIV status awareness among people living with HIV, while the government has committed more than N$59.2 million towards healthcare infrastructure projects including hospital renovations and upgrades.
28 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Giano Seibeb, a 29-year-old Windhoek resident who breached State House security in April when found naked in a presidential guest house, has been assessed as mentally unfit to stand trial. A psychiatrist diagnosed him with schizophrenia and substance use disorder, concluding he was incapable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his actions at the time of the alleged offences.
25 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Pennina Ndengu began experiencing severe headaches at age 12, and despite repeated visits to clinics, doctors struggled to identify the cause. A tumour behind her right eye was only discovered after an emergency CT scan at Windhoek Central Hospital's eye clinic, and biopsy confirmed cancer.
24 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Health Minister Dr Esperance Luvindao warned that Namibia could face an 84% increase in cancer cases by 2045, with projections showing more than 6,300 new cases annually by that year compared to approximately 2,200 in 2018. Experts cited delayed diagnoses, limited rural screening services and barriers to treatment as key challenges, with breast cancer and cervical cancer among the most prevalent forms.
9 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Patric Gaingob was found guilty of murdering his wife, fellow teacher Merenta Gaingos, in a fatal knife attack in April 2019. The judge rejected his claims of automatism and amnesia, noting 12 stab wounds were recorded during post-mortem examination and finding direct intent to murder.
1 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The government proposes a public-private partnership with Rhino Park Private Hospital, where state surgeons would use the private facility's theatres during off-peak hours to operate on public patients and clear around 9,600 elective surgical backlogs at Katutura Intermediate and Windhoek Central hospitals. The arrangement aims to reduce the combined backlog by 30% within 12 months, despite concerns from medical doctors that the state's own 20 theatres in Windhoek are underutilised due to medication shortages.
20 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Medical specialists at public hospitals dispute health minister Esperance Luvindao's assertion that pharmaceutical stock levels have improved to 60%, saying critical shortages of essential medications continue to affect patient care across departments.
20 May 2026 · The Namibian →
A mother is seeking N$17 million in damages, alleging her four-year-old daughter was left blind, paralysed and brain-damaged following a tonsil and adenoid procedure at Windhoek Central Hospital in December 2024. The lawsuit claims medical negligence, including that surgery was performed by a general practitioner without the designated ENT specialist present and that complications including cardiac arrest were mismanaged; the health ministry disputes the allegations and says the ENT specialist was supervising.
20 May 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Shortages of essential chronic medications for hypertension, diabetes, and ophthalmology at Windhoek Central Hospital could result in suspension of surgeries and risk of permanent blindness. An ophthalmologist warns that the department lacks critical glaucoma and post-operative medications and cannot safely continue cataract operations without them.
12 May 2026 · The Namibian →
The family of Giano Seibeb, accused of trespassing at State House in Windhoek, is demanding to see closed-circuit television footage of the incident and wants answers on how he escaped Windhoek Central Hospital's mental health centre where he had been admitted. The incident led President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to suspend police inspector general Joseph Shikongo.
7 May 2026 · The Namibian →
The Namibian Police is not disclosing whether suspended inspector general Joseph Shikongo retains his salary and benefits during suspension; Nampol referred media inquiries to the Presidency's statement, which does not address the conditions of Shikongo's suspension.
7 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →