By: Sulayman Waan
Residents of Kuntaur have expressed anger about the lack of a medical doctor at their Major Health Centre in Niani District, Central River Region north.
A reliable source told The Voice that the major health centre has been without a doctor for the past three years.
The source added that the residents of the community and its satellite villages had to convey their critical ill ones at Bansang or Farafenni hospitals for treatment owing to the lack of a doctor in the facility.
“About three years ago there was a competent medical doctor [Dr.Lukas] who was treating patients of critical condition but since his transfer to the urban area there had been no replacement make,” the source said.
However, the source further said the theater room at the health facility is well furnish with medical apparatus but added that these apparatus are not functional presently because the health facility lacks a medical doctor to utilize them (medical apparatus).
“Since Doctor Lukas left, the theater room is closed, as if he is the only medical doctor in the country. Government should have replaced him with someone,” the insider further said.
Maimuna Barry, lady councilor of Niani District who is a native of Kuntaur described this nightmare as doleful to the masses, saying whenever patients of critical condition come to the health centre they would be referred to other hospitals owing to the lack of a doctor to cure them.
“Whenever, we have a patient we have to take the person to Bansang Hospital but sometimes when the Janjanbureh ferry is out of service, we have to return to Farafenni Hospital. In this situation the patients could die before reaching Farafenni Hospital due to the long distant,” she explained.
The distant from Kuntaur hospital to Bansang is approximately 50Km and the Janjangbureh- Lamin Koto crossing could waste the time of ambulance from Kuntaur to the hospital. Similarly the distant between Kuntaur and Farafenni is also long making referring of patients in difficult.
However, Mrs. Barry who felt distress about the nightmare said that: “If a patient is affected with pneumonia, asthma or lack of sufficient blood he or she may die before reaching other hospitals.”
Meanwhile, she called on government to return Dr. Lukas at Kuntaur Health Centre or bring other competent medical doctors at the health facility to cure their patients and reduce the burden of referring patients to other hospitals.
For his part, Babagalleh Jallow, regional health director for CRR said he doesn’t want to comment much on this issue and refers The Voice to the ministry. However, he said his office had been trying to make sure a medical doctor is available in the said health centre but yet the struggle is not accomplish.
“I’m working harder to make sure the theater room is equipped with the necessary medical apparatus,” he said.
For the case of Dr. Lukas, he said: “Dr. Lukas was not transferred; he just left and is not easy to get another medical doctor for the health centre. “Even the ministry is working on this issue.”
When this reporter contacted Muhammed Lamin Jaiteh, permanent secretary ministry of health in order to get more information concerning the matter, Mr Jaiteh asked him to make a formal request to the ministry for him to brief about the interview.