By: Nyima Sillah
In their quest to support the Gambia’s health sector, the China medical team through the Chinese Consul in The Gambia, on Wednesday donated over half a million Dalasi worth of medical items to the Brikama DistrictHospital.
The gesture aims to assist the hospital in renderingservices to people across the West Coast Region of The Gambia and to also offer a four-day medical service to the people at Brikama District Hospital. Gynecologists, cardiologists, and pediatricians would be among the specialists lined up for the medical service.
In his remarks, the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the hospital, Lamin Sanyang, extolled the medical team through the consul for donating the medical items to the facility, saying it has been a history of partnering with the Chinese government in the medical service. He assured that the items will be put to good use.
He pleaded to the medical team for additional support to the hospital’s X-ray, scanning, and radiology units, adding that the hospital lacks these units and they are one of the busiest hospitals in the region.
The OIC pointed out that they recorded a delivery rate of seven thousand, nine hundred and sixty-five babies last year and their general outpatient had registered about fifty thousand, five hundred and seventy-six patients.
Tong Zhan, Consul at the Chinese Embassy acknowledged the outstanding job that the medical team has been rendering to the Gambians.
“The Chinese government focuses more on health and medical care in The Gambia,” he added.
He explained that in the 1980s, the Chinese government aided four regional health centers mainly in Karantaba, Kaur, and Kudang, adding that they have signed a cooperation agreement with the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital aimed at building the first laboratory in the country.
Regional Health Director, Jeandac Jarju Kujabi stated that the selection of the medical team was not done by mistake since they knew how their region needs their service and medication.
“We thank the team for the medication as it will go a long way in improving the medical system of the country,” she stated.
She called on the team to nurture its collaboration with the hospital.