By Lamin E. Fatty
(Communications Officer-NHRC)
Under the auspices of the Vice-Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, a consignment of clothing, detergents, and packs of water was on Wednesday afternoon donated to officials of the country’s only psychiatric hospital (Tanka Tanka). The humanitarian gesture is in response to the dire needs of the center as was witnessed during the Commission’s routine monitoring visits. It could be recalled that during a visit by the Commission some months ago, officials decry a lot of essential needs not least sanitary products for the facility.
It is against this background that Commissioners and Staff voluntarily mobilized resources to respond to the dire humanitarian needs of a facility, its officials described as struggling to meet expected standards.
As a statutory body mandated to promote and protect rights, this intervention is in line with the mandate to promote the realization of the right to health and the officials of the hospital took the opportunity to not only thanked the Commission but called on other institutions to emulate.
During a briefing to the visiting team, Lamin Barrow and Omar Bojang, all senior staff members of the hospital lamented that despite the sacrifice of the men and women battling the most difficult of challenges to render service, massive gaps persist.
They described the “Lunatic Act” that governs the wellbeing of mentally challenged persons in the Gambia as archaic and not fit for purpose, and thus, the need to repeal it and fastrack the finalization of a bill (Mental Health Act) currently in place that sought to guarantee the dignity of those suffering from all forms of mental disorder.
Commenting on the plight of those patients who are charged with crimes before courts and compelled by Magistrates and Judges to be “taken to Tanka-Tank”, a resident doctor posted at the facility described the “prolonged detention” of patients as a breach of the freedoms and dignity they should enjoy under a friendly legislation.
It is worth stating that Tanka-Tanka is a subsidiary unit of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) and what rights groups and campaigners seek to do is to make it an autonomous institution that will be able to attract the attention and recognition it deserves.
The Human Rights Commission has renewed its resolve to ensure that duty bearers live up to expectations in guaranteeing the dignity of all, including the mentally challenged, and a detailed recommendation to the state is due for submission and publication in the coming weeks.