Fifteen (15) medical doctors in the United States under the umbrella of Gambia Collaborative Project (GCP) on Friday morning visited the Embassy of The Gambia in Washington D.C. to discuss with the Ambassador of The Gambia to the United States of America, H.E. Momodou Lamin Bah, the strengthening of medical assistance to the people of The Gambia.
The meeting is part of preparations for the team of doctors to travel to The Gambia and render medical assistance to the people in public health facilities. The teams of doctors are expected to arrive in the country on 25th January, 2024 and provide medical service for duration of up-to two weeks.
In his welcoming remarks, the Ambassador expressed delight at receiving the team of doctors specialised in various areas such as pediatrics, obgyn – gynecology, family medicine, physical therapy, infectious disease amongst others. Ambassador Bah said health remains top priority for the Government and therefore, the Embassy would cooperate by providing all the required support for the team to travel to the country and render best medical services to the people of The Gambia.
The Gambian Ambassador said he has always been concerned about health but became very passionate when he served on the Board of Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (main referral hospital) in Banjul, and also as a member of COVID -19 Response Taskforce. He urged the team to institutionalise the initiative and make it a year-round activity.
Ambassador Bah indicated that contributions towards improving the health sector can be done in various forms, such as short term visits, capacity building through virtual mode, exchange programmesbetween the health deliveries and training institutions in The Gambia and in the US amongst others.
The Ambassador also emphasised on the need to have modern medical equipment in the country, adding that would make a huge difference in addressing some of the challenges facing the health sector.
Dr. Draion Burch, on behalf of the team of doctors expressed their profound gratitude to the Ambassador and the entire staff for the hospitality accorded to them. Dr. Burch said as a team they felt bolstered by the words of encouragement they received from the Ambassador. He expressed delight at the vision shared by the Ambassador for the initiative to be a collaborative medical mission for The Gambia, and they would do everything necessary to get the initiative institutionalised. This, he said, gave them hope and reassurance to continue giving their utmost best to the people of The Gambia.
Dr. Burch said they have taken note of the Ambassador’s plea for provision of medical equipment and that they will make every effort toward addressing this need. He said they will help teach, train, and provide resources to the Gambian populace in conjunction with the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital(EFSTH), University of The Gambia (UTG) School of Medicine and Allied Health as well as the Ministry of Health.