By Binta Jaiteh
Hon. Saikou Marong National Assembly member for Latrikunda Sabijie has called on the Ministry of Health to provide sufficient resources and expertise as well ensures professionalism at health facilities labor ward to prevent death during labor.
“On maternal and mortality the government is doing good but all what we are saying is that our women should not die during labor this is all what we are asking for,” he said on Monday during the debate of the 2020 Appropriation Bill.
Hon. Marong further said there is a need for the government to work on the health sector as expected, adding the healthcare workers should also change their attitude towards work.
Remembering the tense days of COVID-19 pandemic in the Gambia, he said health experts never have the opportunity to refer any patients for oversea treatment and all patients were treated in the country.
On this regards, he said: “This shows that the government should be serious toward the health sector in order to avoid people seeking health treatment aboard.”
Alfusainey Ceesay representative for the Sami Constituency described the health sector as important, saying “As we have increased the budget for the Health Ministry then we want to see impact. We have also allocated some money to the sectors to motivate the staffs in order for them to stay were ever they are posted.”
He said some public health facilities lack competent staff to execute their function properly; thus, he said healthcare officers must be trained to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.
“This difficult time I went with my daughter to one of the health center to test her blood and upon our arrival they told us that they lap technical is not around,” he explained.
However, he said there is a need for Gambians to embark on attitudinal changes while added that institutions are maintain by attitude but resources.
