Ahmad Mai Fatty, leader and secretary general for Gambia Moral Congress (GMC) has unveiled the poor condition of the quarantine system in the country.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at GMC political bureau in Pipeline, Hon. Fatty who was under quarantine at Badala Park Hotel for two weeks said there are many frontline health workers caring for people at the quarantine centers without proper care by government.
He revealed that initially there was no face marks in the quarantine centers for the health personnel as well as those under quarantine services.
According to him, based on his conversation with some frontline health workers during his time under quarantine; he realized that some of these health personnel have to borrowed money in order to get their families’ daily sustenance.
“And 90 percent of them have not seen their families for about three weeks or more because they are also quarantine. If we allow this to continue it is going to be a disaster for the country because these are the people protecting our public today,” he said.
He called on government to consider the welfare of the public health officers, he however question if they are in jeopardy; thus, how can they protect the people under their custody?
He described the improper care of the frontline health workers as indictment because people who are responsible of caring for the public’s health are not properly taken care.
The GMC leader said the public health officials deserve much better than what they are getting from government.
Narrating further the condition of quarantine system, the GMC leader said: “When I was taken to my room, where I was isolated, I find nothing there.”
He added that he was expecting to find some skits such as face marks and other basic necessities that are important for people under quarantine.
Fatty, the only political leader who passed under quarantine service noted that some people were picked from streets and taken directly to quarantine center with only a shirt and a trouser, adding that some of these people spent almost all their quarantine with the same cloths.
“How do you expect people to be isolated under quarantine and they are not even provided with light clippers. I am not saying authorities are aware but that is my experience,” he revealed.
“Fortunately, I had supply of my own before going to the quarantine but how many people will have that, particularly those who were taken from the streets. You want to place people under quarantine and they are exposed. This is a reality, I have witness it,” he said.
He said there is a growing hopeless among the health workers; therefore, he said there is need for government to provide welfare to the frontline health workers.
Revealing further, he said there many breadwinners put under quarantine at Badala Park Hotel while their families are suffered behind.
He opined that government should provide feeding for any family whose breadwinner is quarantine.
“You take a breadwinner away from the family on suspicion of being infected. Then you leave the family in a dilemma. This is not fair,” he said.
He added that there are many breadwinners quarantine without leaving even a single cup of rice with their families at home.
The former minister of interior said if government fails to address the challenges in the quarantine system it would collapse because those serving quarantine may be frustrated and get out of the system.