Oxygen Communications (Pty) Ltd. in association with United Africa Group on Tuesday introduced a medical mission initiative as part of its corporate social responsibility effort; whereby a group of doctors and nurses of American and Israeli origin will treat Namibian patients.

The three doctors and one nurse are volunteers who belong to a group, named Sports Orthopedic and Rehabilitation (SOAR). Deputy Ministry of Health and Social Services, Petrina Haingura expressed her thanks and eagerness to see the results. “We are grateful to have them in Namibia,” she said. Haingura says that the objective of the medical mission is to correct physical lower-extremity deformities and thus to give a new chance at quality life to many needy Namibians. “These volunteer doctors will perform surgeries and provide much-needed modern medical equipment,” Haingura said. One of the doctors, Bruce Lehnert, revealed that they have brought some of their medical equipment with them. They brought the equipment with because Namibia does not have them. Lehnert said that the Ministry of Health contacted them and they saw it as an opportunity to help and heal others. “When we heard the news we had to say yes. Our mission now is to be in Namibia in 2012. My team and I will also train local physicians in surgery for traumatic conditions, sports medicine and deformity correction. While we are here we also would like to educate Namibians,” the leading SOAR member said. They already started operating on patients on 13 June at the Katutura Hospital, the further surgeries will be conducted on the 14th and 15th of June 2012. The group specialises in sports medicine and arthroscopy, ligament reconstruction, hand and micro-surgery, total joint replacement, fractures, foot surgery, as well as pediatric and adolescent sports medicine.  They are expected to depart from Namibia on 22 June.