By Adama Makasuba
The Ghanaian soldiers known as Ghancoy 6 contingent under the ECOMIG has donated more blood and medical equipment to Essau District Hospital amid shortage of blood and drugs in the hospital.
The soldiers have been praised for their humanitarian support to the communities within the North Bank Region of the country, specifically to Essau and Barra since the start of their mission in the country in 2017.
Speaking at the donation exercise held at the hospital complex, Lieutenant Colonel Wak Ackah Ghancoy commander assured them of his contingent’s continue support to the communities and its people “I will say that as a contingent we will continue to support the activities within the community, work with the community and engage them. Whatever we can do within our capacity to make sure that everything goes well within the community, we are ready to engage all of them,” he assured them.
According to him, the Ghanaian contingent has conducted various activities in conjunction with The Gambian security to support the people of the country.
“In addition to our military operational activities, we have embarked on a wide range of humanitarian activities – civil-military activities as a way of engaging with the various communities and the people of which we are here to serve.
“As part of our military-civil cooperation activities, medical outreach has been very important in our agenda. Over the period as I articulated, we have a very lasting relationship with the Essau hospital where the Ghanaian contingent doctor is always attached (to this hospital),” he added.
“Just last week, I think we had an emergency where a pregnant woman needed blood and then we had to bring some of the soldiers who will be able to donate blood, to be able to save that important life. So, out of that experience, the medical officer and the civil-military cooperation officer brought the idea that it’s important that we come and assist. Because I was told that the blood bank was actually down in relation to the blood. So, I thought it is wise to galvanise the entire Ghanaian contingent to come in and support,” he explained.
Naval Lieutenant Andy Dela Togbe, a doctor attached to Ghancoy said the blood donation came after realising a shortage of blood in the hospital’s blood bank.
Sira Conteh, officer-in-charge of Essau district hospital commended the Ghanaian contingent for continuing supporting the hospital, while she described the soldiers’ blood donation as a beacon of Pan Africans