By Yunus S Saliu
Freeman Health Care Foundation (FHCF), based in America in collaboration with the Center for Research and Advocacy on Women and Adolescent Health (CRAWAH) The Gambia, has Thursday handed over various medical items to different public health facilities in Banjul City and Kanifing Municipal Council.
The public health facilities benefited from the gesture include Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH); Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital; Kanifing General Hospital; Fajikunda Health Centre; Serekunda Health Centre and School of Nursing.
Items handed over to these health facilities on behalf of Freeman Health Care Foundation (FHCF) by Center for Research and Advocacy on Women and Adolescent Health (CRAWAH) are vital signs devices; diabetic kit supplies; hand sanitisers; thermometers; BM Machines, pulse oximeter; gloves; BP machines; BM strips; cardiovascular practice model; digestive practice model practice among others.
Commenting on the medical items, Mr David Daye, OIC of Serrekunda Health Centre expressed delights and thanked founder of Jerome Freeman Care Foundation and partner for the wonderful donations, “they have done something great for us, it will surely go a long way.”
The center’s OIC prayed for the donation to be the beginning of the relationship that will be a long lasting between the hospital, and FHCF, CRAWAH and partners.
Sister Fatou – Senior Enrolled Nurse and Mr Lamin Ceesay – Public Health Officer at Serekunda Health Centre also sent words of appreciation through CRAWAH to the partners while prayed for more donations in future, especially medical items, bed sheets and nets for the labour wards.
They both encouraged others to emulate FHCF, CRAWAH and partners to give whatever they can to help health facilities for the benefit of the people, while promise that the items will be put into good use.
Fatima Bah of Fajikunda Health Centre as well applauded the FHCF and CRAWAH for the gesture.
At Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Mr Omar Ceesay thanked Jerome Freeman and partners for this support which he said will go a long way in helping them in their fighting against maternal mortality, also will promote child health and other services delivery in the hospital.
He said amid the Covid-19 it become really essential and as a maternal hospital they use lots of gloves for the care of their patients, “so provision of these things is among essential items that will really go a long way in helping to provide cares for children and we look forward to more of this partnerships.”
The PRO of the Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital applauded the donors and said it is a great effort in complementing government’s work.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, he thanked the donors for this humane and benevolent gesture “which will help us significantly in moving the quality of cares we provide in Bundung Maternal and Child Care Hospital. Here emphasis is placed on maternal health and in the absence of gloves amid this Covid-19 pandemic, it might cause devastating consequence.”
He noted that all these items donated to the hospital are very vital in their daily works.
Meanwhile, in December, the FHCF and partners donated over 24,000 gloves to some public health facilities while Mr Jerome Freeman founder of Freeman Health Care Foundation based in Massachusetts, USA promised that further pending other items will be distributed as soon as they arrive in the country.
These pending medical items – vital signs device and PPEs; Diabetic kit supplies Reusable sanitary pads; cardiovascular practice model for nursing students; digestive practice model practice for nursing students among others have now been distributed accordingly by Center for Research and Advocacy on Women and Adolescent Health.