STAFF WRITER
NAMIBIA Institute of Pathology (NIP) Chief Executive Officer Kapena Tjombonde says they are spending about N$5.7 million per head in training pathologists as part of their bursary scheme to improve skills in the industry.
“Pathology training is lengthy and expensive. It takes between 5 – 6 years to fully train a pathologist at an average cost of N$ 5,7 million. The path to becoming a qualified pathologist typically requires a qualified medical doctor to undertake postgraduate specialization (MMed/FCPath), and mentorship,”Tjombonde told Namibia Business Review in a recent interview..
She added that, “Given the high cost and duration of study, few individuals can afford to pursue this specialty without financial support. The NIP bursary funding is therefore a critical enabler for talent development in this area. By training its own pathologists, Namibia reduces its dependency on foreign expertise and bolsters national healthcare capacity. “
Tjombonde said their strategic investment contributes to sustainable national healthcare development, increased research and academic capacity and strengthened clinical laboratory systems across the country.
She said investment in training is crucial in addressing the country’s diagnostic capacity gaps, ensuring that Namibia builds a resilient and self-sustaining healthcare system.
“Continued support for specialist training remains essential to strengthen service delivery, improve turnaround times, and reduce dependency on external expertise,” she said.
NIP inaugurated the Namibia Medical Manufacturing Hub in Swakopmund, a first venture into local production of laboratory consumables.
“ This hub is a strategic initiative aimed at producing consumables for our internal supply needs and later commercial sales, contributing to income diversification and self-sustainability. It is worth noting that this is a new industry and concerted efforts from all players is key for the national project and collaboration. In terms of skills development in view of this project, we envisage to collaborate with the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) to train the current team of intern engineers to gain skills and to add value to the manufacturing process,” she said.
She added that the hub will create employment opportunities for Namibians, contributing meaningfully to the national economy.
“It is vital to collaborate because no medical laboratory can operate in isolation. Within the SADC region, NIP works with institutions such as the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) and private pathology laboratories in South Africa. These sister organizations often serve as referral laboratories for specialised tests not currently performed in Namibia, ensuring patients still have access to essential diagnostic,” he said.
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