By: Nyima Sillah
The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Wednesday donated an ambulance vehicle worth D2.5 million as well as D100,000 coupons to Gambia Prison Service.
The donation ceremony was held in Bijilo and it was aimed to support prison in the fight against coronavirus.
President of GCCI Edrissa Mass Jobe, said: “This ambulance is yet to help further the agenda of equivalence of healthcare and the right to health is a principle that applies to all prisoners who are entitled to receive the same quality of medical care that is available in the community.”
“Prisons are not isolated from the society and prison health is public health. The vast majority of people committed to prison, prison guards and families interacts continuously making prisons the reservoirs of disease.
“At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemics, GCCI realized that the prisons together with the hospitals are the worst and most vulnerable places in the country hence in the spirit of true generosity we focused our material and financial contribution to helping these institutions,” Edrissa claimed.
Representing the Prison Service, Modou Jarju, described the donation as very timely and relevant to their institution needs and current requirements of their prison sub-health system.
“The old ambulance in Mile II is over burden with pressure of providing paramedic services to both Mile II and Jeshwang prison. Therefore, quest for an ambulance for the prison was long overdue and this will go a long way in improving the provision of health services to the prisons,” he said.
“GCCI and UNDP had provided life changing support services in various ways that have helped to improve the lives of both inmates and officers,” he added.
Fabba Jammeh Director of industry Ministry of Trade said: “We all know that we are still in the pandemic and it has constraint on most of our activities so we can imagine those in the prison how they would have been impacted by the Covid and this support coming to them at least will relief some of the burden that they have been going through in this covid-19 moment.”