By Binta Jaiteh
The Minister of Health, Dr. Momodou Lamin Samateh, inaugurated West Africa’s first Maternal Smart Pods on Wednesday.
The inauguration of the Smart Pods was held at the KanifingGeneral Hospital, the second biggest and busiest hospital in The Gambia with a catchment area population of over 600,000 inhabitants. This newly inaugurated Maternal Smart Pods is meant to decrease maternal and child mortality through a safer delivery project. It is a new standard of operating care available for expectant mothers and newborn babies in The Gambia, which will enable staff to perform emergency obstetric procedures such as cesarean sections – in an advanced clinical setting.
According to Honourable Health, Dr Momodou Lamin Samateh said his Ministry prioritizes Maternal and Neonatal Care.
He said that “the Government alongside our esteemed partners, has invested significantly to ensure that our women and children receive top-quality care from skilled and compassionate healthcare providers. We have constructed new facilities across rural Gambia and enhanced Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and New Born Care (CEmONC) services in key district hospitals, including Essau, Jarra, Soma, and Basse”, he explained.
Dr. Samateh disclosed that “the introduction of these Surgical Pods, featuring state-of-the-art facilities, is a significant enhancement to our clinical services adding that for the first time, our hospital has a dedicated Operating Theatre for the Maternity Department, eliminating delays in emergency obstetric surgeries”.
“Women who need gynecological procedures, such as myomectomies, will now receive timely care instead of facing long waits in a busy main operating theatre,” he expressed.
The Chief Executive Officer of Kanifing General Hospital, Basiru Drammeh, noted that all these compartments are equipped with State-of-the-Art equipment and gadgets which their staff were trained on for safe and smooth service delivery. “It also has an Internet facility to provide telemedicine facilities which will no doubt add huge value to our service delivery,” he added.
Drammeh indicated that this is the second biggest and busiest hospital in the Gambia with a catchment area population of over 600,000 inhabitants.
“It has a yearly outpatient attendance of almost 200,000 with an annual delivery rate of 6,000 of which 98% are skilled birth attendance”, he remarked.
However, he said it is, indeed, a very laudable milestone for healthcare services in the Gambia and there is no doubt that the Smart Pods had brought lots of joy and happiness to KGH and patients seeking care at the facility.
The Chairman and Founder of Trini and O.C. Mendenhall Foundation Mrs. Trini Mendehall said statistics showed the need to have this Centre built there.
“As a Baylor College of Medicine board member for more than 20 years, I felt that my foundation could make a big impact with transformational results on maternal health and the birth of our babies”, she opined.
She went further that philanthropy can make lasting changes for the children and women of the Gambia and it follows the Mendehall Foundation’s mission.
“I have been successful in my business and with success comes responsibility. We are changing lives for our new mothers to take care of their families”, she acknowledged.
