By: Nyima Sillah
The second batch of health personnel from Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) over the weekend left Banjul for China, where they will undergo a six-month training program.
The program is part of a smart partnership between the Gambia’s main referral hospital and ShengjingHospital in China.
The two health institutions have been working collaboratively for more than five years now and the goal of the partnership is to assist EFSTH in independently conducting gynecological endoscopic surgeries and establishing maternal management protocols.
Speaking at a farewell ceremony at the Banjul International Airport, the Chinese Consular to The Gambia, Zhan Tong, promised that more Gambian doctors will benefit from such training programs inChina in the next three years, adding that experts would be also sent here to conduct seminars. The diplomat said the capacity-building program in China is an inter-governmental project between China and The Gambia.
“It is very important for The Gambia to have such training programs for doctors and nurses in gynecology. This is not the first time to have this six-month training. We are also doing a lot in terms of capacity building in the past eight years since our governments resumed diplomatic ties. We know the medical and health sector is one of the priorities between our two countries’ cooperation,” he said.
He stated that the Chinese government has devoted a lot to The Gambia to improve healthcare service delivery, describing their intervention as vital as, according to him, it directly benefits the Gambian people. This, he added, is a source of pride for China.
Dr. Kebba Keita, Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the EFSTH on behalf of the Chief Medical Director expressed gratitude to the government of China for its collaboration with and support to The Gambia.
He acknowledged that the Chinese government has been supporting EFSTH and the ministry of health with critical medical equipment and supplies for the past years.
“They have been giving us equipment which are almost one in Africa,” he highlighted.
Dr. Keita explained he and another staff of EFSTH were invited to Shengjing Hospital in 2019, adding that the trip provided them the opportunity to interact with topnotch Chinese doctors with their state-of-the-art equipment.
“We learned their attitude towards work, which is excellent. One of the skills that I acquired from China is minimal access surgery and since I came, we have done over 300 minimal access surgeries. Back then, if you needed that you go to Senegal but that has now become a thing of the past. They helped Gambia to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of minimal access surgery,” he explained.
He urged the second batch of trainees to emulate the first cohort.
The beneficiaries of this latest training program Dr. Kebba Gassama and nurse Mariama Baye expressed their “deepest” appreciation to the People’s Republic of China and the government of The Gambia for giving them the opportunity to enhance their skills.
“This training came at the right time. We are grateful that we were selected to go and acquire the skill and proficiency of one of the highest technologies. Our expectations and goal are that when we come back, we want to prevent the Gambian patients to go foroverseas treatment. We also want to spread the knowledge gained and teach our colleagues to be skillful in minimal access surgery,” said Dr. Gassama.
