The NAMDIA Foundation today handed over an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Machine to the Windhoek Eye Clinic. The machine is part of The Foundation’s donation of N$ 1.5 million to the Windhoek Central Hospital’s eye clinic.
The donation was for the acquisition of an OTC Machine valued at N$ 795 500.00 while the rest of the donation was spent on the servicing and repairing of microscope machines and the purchase of equipment vital for cataract operations.
“The OCT Machine is the first of its kind in the Public Health Sector and is an emerging technology for performing high-resolution cross-sectional imaging and uses light instead of sound. OCT can provide cross-sectional images of tissue structure in the eye, which aids in the early detection of ocular illnesses such as glaucoma and cataract,” said NAMDIA’s spokesperson Ms Beverley Coussement.
Coussement pointed out that a microscope machine is one of the most important optical instruments in the modern era of ophthalmic surgeries. It provides the surgeon with a magnified and illuminated highquality image of the small ophthalmic structures.
The Executive Director of the Ministry of Health and Services Mr. Ben Nangombe received the OTC Machine on behalf of the Hospital, with the Chairman of The NAMDIA Foundation, Mr. Kennedy Hamutenya officially handing over the machine on behalf of The NAMDIA Foundation.
“Besides the fields of Education and Sports, Health is one of the three focus areas of The NAMDIA Foundation and through our initiatives and projects, we hope to promote and advocate nation-building values and solidarity, support vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and contribute to the socio-economic emancipation of communities through collaborative efforts with communities and the Namibian Government,” said Coussement.
With more donations in future The NAMDIA Foundation hopes to continue on embarking on new projects with the aim of producing lifelong benefits that will contribute to the overall social economic growth of the nation.
“Our approach is to remain steadfast in our convictions in addressing the many problems facing our less privileged communities. We remain focused on the objectives of the organisation and prudently select initiatives that have positive long lasting trickle-down effects within the communities,” Coussement said.
In the photo: Dr Helena Ndume, the ophthalmologist at the eye clinic, and Dr Sarah Shalongo, Windhoek C. Hospital’s Senior Medical Superintendent, demonstrating to Mr. Ben Nangombe how the OTC Machine works.
