Eileen van der Schyff
A mother had to endure the unimaginable pain of watching her son die in front of her very eyes in a state ambulance on Wednesday morning. Her son, 23-year old Selvanus Tsaraeb, had to be rushed by ambulance from Omaruru to Walvis Bay, but the ambulance driver allegedly wasted valuable time by “making unnecessary stops” on the way. Tsaraeb died only a few kilometers from Usakos underway to Walvis Bay, as his desperate and hysterical mother looked on.
Tsaraeb’s agony began earlier on Wednesday morning when he fell ill at Uis. He has been unwell for two weeks and his mother accompanied him to the Omaruru state hospital that morning. They arrived at Omaruru state hospital at around 10:00. Tsaraeb had a high fever, and had difficulty breathing.
Tsaraeb was routinely tested for the Coronavirus. Staff said he had to wait outside with his mother as “a room was prepared for him” and that he would be transferred to Walvis Bay for treatment. The wait for his hospital room turned out into agonising hours during which Tsaraeb had to sit outside in the sun.
When an ambulance arrived at last, Tsaraeb’s condition already worsened significantly. His mother accompanied him at the back of the ambulance to Walvis Bay.
When the ambulance arrived at Karibib, the ambulance driver allegedly first made a stop at his house to pick up a cell phone charger. Once they reached Usakos the driver again made what the mother described as “a few stops”.
By the time the ambulance left Usakos it was already too late. Tsaraeb passed away shortly after the ambulance left Usakos for Walvis Bay.
With Tsaraeb dead in the back of the ambulance, the driver turned around and headed back to Omaruru. The heartbroken mother remained with her dead son in the ambulance and once back in Omaruru she was whisked off to isolation.
Yesterday morning the family had contacted the Regional Health Authority in Erongo and demanded a full investigation into the incident. Furthermore, they cannot reach their grieving mother as her cell phone is switched off and health officials simply say she is under quarantine.
“What has become of our health care system, the late Tsaraeb’s sister said from Manchester in the United Kingdom yesterday? Adding the family will not leave this matter here and someone needed to be held accountable.
“Namibia has lost a hugely talented, generous and kind person today who would have been easily taken care of in Europe. Why can’t the same be done in Namibia?”