By: NyimaSillah
Lots of citizens across the Greater Banjul Area have frowned at the slow process of the ongoing digital birth registration process and expressed their dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Health.
They urged the Health Ministry to maintain exercise as a continuous process in nearby health facilities for easy access.
The registration process which started on the 2nd of August 2022 has left many disappointed due to the slow process and waste of time in the registration centers.
Reaching out to The Voice, Mariama Cham, a resident of Sukuta told this medium that she has been going to the registration centers with all her kids for over two days but none of them has one.
“Looking at the number of people that want to register, I think the Ministry of Health should maintain this exercise as a continuous process. Whereby if anyone needs it can go to the nearest health center and get it. Doing it in a rushed manner will just disturb a lot of people because people have other businesses to do rather than queuing in the center endlessly for days,” she said.
Ebrima Bojang also said that Gambians want to do everything in a rush. “How could they launch such a huge campaign without putting the entire infrastructure in place?” he questioned. That “it’s disheartening waking up early in the morning seeing women queuing with their babies in the hot sun for hours, I don’t think this is right. Getting a national identification card shouldn’t be tough on citizens. This should be by choice. Let people register when they want it.”
In a similar development, Bintou Ceesay said “everything that happens on the ground is flat nepotism. When you know someone it’s easier to get it. I woke up at 4 a.m. just to reach the queue but I couldn’t get this piece of paper for 3 days despite waking up early,” he complained.
“The first day I came, out of hundreds of people, only 9 people were given the card and the rest were told that the connection was down and tickets were finished which is undone,” he said.
Meanwhile, an anonymous health worker also said that the assigned team is trying to ensure that everyone is issued a birth certificate and a National Health Insurance, but, unfortunately, every campaign comes with challenges.
“The turnout is positive, but our challenges are a poor internet connection and lack of electricity which some people fail to understand. We don’t wish for this to happen but I am sure not all centers are experiencing the same issue. So we have to understand each other,” the health personnel appealed.