Geographical size and area of operation:
Rehoboth is located centrally within Namibia, 89 km south of the Capital Windhoek. The District of Rehoboth is one of the three districts that make up the Hardap Region. The geographical boundaries of Rehoboth District include Khomas Region in the north, Mariental Health District in the south, west and east. The total size of the catchment area spans over 11 000 km². The population of Rehoboth District is about 30000 to 40000. More than 80% of the population lives in the town. The town area is wide spread and has an approximate diameter of eight to ten kilometers. Only 5% of the town’s streets and roads are tarred, while the rest are gravel road. All the outlying clinics and outreach points within the district can only be reached via gravel roads. About 70% of the town has been electrified and a proper sewerage system is in place. The health facilities within the town and the district are well established and accepted by the community.

The Rehoboth Health District is organized in one District Hospital (St. Mary ’s, under CHS), one Health Centre and one Tb-Clinic at Rehoboth town and three Clinics located at Schlip, Rietoog and Klein Aub, all the latter under the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

Apart from these exist 18 outreach points that are visited on a monthly basis, in the rural areas. The three satellite clinics fall direct under the administration and supervision of the Health Centre. But after hours they refer directly to St. Mary’s District Hospital. St. Mary’s Hospital is owned and run by the Roman Catholic Church of Namibia. All casualties and severe trauma cases are managed and treated by St. Mary’s Hospital.

HISTORY of St. Mary's:
Father F.X. Lipp established The Roman Catholic Mission in 1923. Already back in 1928 nursing services were rendered for the community by means of a mobile unit through religious sisters, who were trained in Germany.
The first hospital building to house patients was erected in 1943. In 1960 with the support of the German based organization MISEREOR major renovation and upgrading work was done for the hospital complex. Since then the hospital is fully subsidized by the “Department of National Health”. Further extensions were completed in 1984, creating separate wards for male and female as well as paediatric patients, and isolation rooms for infectious diseases. A maternity unit was added in 1988 providing two modern delivery rooms, a neonatal resuscitation room, a premature care room and enough space for mother and baby friendly rooming-in. A modern kitchen, including adequate cooling and freezing facilities, was completed in 1991. With support from MISEREOR and the LIONS Club Düsseldorf, both in Germany, a new operating theatre was taken into use in 1992, which has two full-equipped theatres for general, G & O an paediatric surgery.

In 2000 our district laboratory opened, which is since 2001 run by NIP. It is located in the Outpatient Area of our hospital.

The hospital is owned by the Roman Catholic Church, Diocese of Keetmanshoop, and run through the Catholic Health Services (CHS).

St. Mary’s Hospital provides inpatient as well as outpatient services, which are usually emergencies or urgencies after normal working hours. CHS and the MoHSS have signed an agreement in 1998, how the church facilities have to been integrated into the State Health System. Under this agreement St. Mary’s Hospital is scheduled as a Class C = District Hospital.