Gambia: minister lauds First Lady’s contribution towards modernisation of hospitals
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - Gambian Minister of Health Dr. Ahmadou Samateh Thursday lauded First Lady Fatou Bah-Barrow’s contribution toward the country’s biggest hospital, Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), particularly the modernisation taking place there and in the health sector in general.
The minister made the remarks here during the presentation of cash prizes and hampers to the 2020 babies born at dawn of the New Year at health facilities in Banjul and Kanifing regions of the country.
“They brought in hundreds of beds, tens of equipment, a lot of support including construction materials donated to enable us achieves our goal of modernisation of the hospital.
“Patients have been supported at various levels; individual donations towards their upkeep in the facility and they have been there for us,” Samateh asserted.
Already, the tender for renovation of all health facilities is underway and 2020 is expected to usher in more progress in the sector.
“There are a lot of equipment that have been procured and we are going to procure a lot more. We have started residency training. We have trained many and we will be training a lot more. Further training for the specialization of nurses are also prioritized so as to achieve our goals of a standard service delivery system in the sector,” the health minister revealed.
Meanwhile, statistics from the Bundung in the Kanifing region Maternal and Children Hospital states that 2019 recorded 4,286 deliveries.
Three hundred and sixty-five (8.5%) were delivered by Cesarean section operations while 98 percent were delivered as life births.
Only one maternal death was registered in 2019.
At the Kanifing general hospital, senior midwife Isatou Cham said “It is definitely a true motivation for us the staff to work for the whole year and expecting your First Lady to come and say thank you to the staff; see fellow women who underwent pregnancy and child birth with handshakes and smiles. We are very appreciative,” she said.
-0- PANA MSS/RA 2Jan2020
