Windhoek — The International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), a centre at the University of Washington's Department of Global Health, in collaboration with the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) of the United States of America, has donated N$2 million worth of simulation equipment and digital video ca-meras to the School of Nursing and Public Health at the University of Namibia.

Dr Jeff Hanson, Country Director for CDC in Namibia, presented the equipment to the dean of the school, Dr Haoses-Garases, last Thursday.

"We hope that the equipment we are presenting to you today will enable Unam lecturers and clinical instructors to simulate live service provision, such as deliveries and physical examination of patients It will help them build their skills, competence and confidence to provide quality health care for patients," Hanson said.

Unam has about 800 trainee nurses, some of whom are deployed in rural areas all over the country as part of their internship.

Hanson said CDC and I-TECH are committed to strengthening Unam's distance learning system.

He said Unam has a difficult mandate to train future generations of Namibian health workers and pledged "unwavering support".

"The CDC through the United States' Government's PEPFAR initiative is a committed partner and will continue to support Unam to improve the health of all Namibians."

Haoses-Garases noted the growing ties between Unam on the one hand, and CDC and I-TECH on the other hand, and promised that the equipment would be put to its intended use.

"Your agency has addressed the expectations of Namibian people in a holistic style which includes issues such as human resources development, provision of teaching equipment and provision of human resources to (overcome) shortfalls."

Her deputy, Dr Van der Vyver, described the donation as a "milestone in the expansion and development of the faculty to strengthen clinical practice which forms the backbone of health practice".

Under the agreement signed by Ms Dega Ali, I-TECH Namibia's country director, and Haoses-Garases, the former will maintain the cameras donated to the school in the presence of scores of people, who included members of the Unam management and student leaders.