Through the Meatco Foundation and with the support of the Namibia Employers Federation (NEF) and the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), Meatco launched the Comprehensive Health Management Services and Outreach Project at the Windhoek factory on 26 February 2016.
In its earliest form, Meatco established a clinic at the Windhoek factory in 1990 to enhance food safety requirements, provide Primary Health Care Services and to facilitate medical tests required for food safety. A medical practitioner was contracted, who visited the clinic twice a week along with an industrial nurse employed on site, who attended to First Aid cases and conducted referrals. The clinic went through the Safe Care initial assessment and was awarded a level 1 certificate as per the Basic Health Care Standards.
In December 2014, the Meatco Foundation acquired funding for a Private Public Partnership with the NEF and with back funding from the GIZ to implement the Meatco Comprehensive Health Management Services and Outreach Project. This entails offering Food Handlers Medicals, Occupational Health Care Services, Wellness Management and Integrated Health Management Solutions Systems for factory employees and farm workers of Meatco’s producers. The project runs until December 2016 and once complete, recommendations will be made for the possibility of expansion.
The project also includes an outreach programme that targets about 2000 dependants of Meatco employees as well as 1500 dependants of producers’ farm workers, who will be provided with Wellness Programs and Primary Health Care Services by PharmAccess through the Mister Sister Mobile Health Service.
In addition, the extension of Meatco’s health program and services gives us the opportunity to extend the principles of our corporate social investment and responsibility towards our stakeholders and partners, and to improve productivity within the supply chain. This will positively influence our competitiveness and position as a leading Namibian company, highlighting our responsibility towards employees and their dependents.
Meatco understands the effect that individual health and wellness has on a business. Therefore, we are compelled to support and give direction in making choices that build a healthy workplace and workforce.