Swakop municipality boasts an own ambulance service

Sharlien Tjambari

Swakopmund has become the only town after the City of Windhoek to own and ope-rate its own ambulances. That is thanks to the initiatives of the Rotary Club of Swakop-mund and the Kawasaki North Rotary Club Japan.

A delegation of the Japanese Embassy in Windhoek was in Swakopmund last week to hand over the keys of the two emergency vehicles to the local authority, thereby concluding this noble project that was executed over the time span of several years.
During the handover of the ambulances, Harada Hideaki, the Ambassador of Japan to Namibia said the initiative by these two Rotary Clubs also strengthen the already strong bond between Namibia and Japan.
“Thanks to the concerted effort of our partners and especially that of the Society for Promotion Japanese Diplomacy (SPJD) in Tokyo, we were able to partner not only with Kawasaki City but also with the Daito Shijonawate Firefighting Association in Osaka.
These partnerships ensured two ambulances could be refurbished and donated to Swakopmund, further explained the ambassador.
Although the ambulances are still in an exceptionally good condition, the vehicles approached the end of their service lifespan in Japan. The vehicles were subsequently acquired and refurbished and shipped to Namibia. The combined worth of the ambulances is estimated at
N$250 000.
The Mayor of Swakopmund, Cllr. Louisa Kativa, in accepting the donation said the safety and wellbeing of the Swakopmund residents are top priority.
“I am convinced that your donation will add value to the work of the emergency division of Council and improve our capacity to respond to emergencies”, concluded Kativa.
The Governor of Erongo, Neville Andre, also attended the handover ceremony and hailed the improvement to access to health care this donation brings about.