By Yunus S Saliu
In its Third Phase of the Maternal and Infant Health Protection Project, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in The Gambia handed over medical equipment worth D5.2 million (US$75,000) to the new-born unit of Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), Banjul, on Monday, February 10, 2025.
The handing-over ceremony was held at the EFSTH premises.
Speaking at the ceremony, F. Türker Oba, Turkish Ambassador to The Gambia thanked the EFSTH administration and the Ministry of Health Gambia and in an extension Profesor Dr. Necdet Unuvar, the Rector and officials of Ankara University together with Mrs Sule Bayar, the Banjul Coordinator of the implementation of this important project.
He explained that the project was designed in 3 phases to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in the Smiling Coast.
“In the first phase, successfully organized in The Gambia, a team of experts visited EFSTH for a field inspection and trained 30 Gambian doctors, nurses, and admin staff between the 5th to the 9th of February 2024. In the second phase, theoretical and practical training was proposed to the Gambian doctors, nurses, and admin staff between 28th July to 4th August 2024 in Ankara University Hospital,” Ambassador Turker Oba disclosed.
He continued “With this new phase, equipment, including 5 incubators, were donated to the new-born unit, and training for their efficient use was provided.”
He noted that Turkey, too, witnessed a challenging time same field, with the Turkey Health Transformation Program, they managed to curb “significantly maternal and infant mortality rates,” a success they wish to replicate in The Gambia through contributing to the improvement of health care in the country.
Since 2018 to date, he disclosed that TIKA in The Gambia has implemented more than 80 projects and “will continue to work closely with counterparts to identify areas of needs.”
Professor Augusta Eneh Sule Bayae, the TIKA Gambia Country Coordinator welcomed and thanked the Turkish team from Turkey for their determination and courage to share their knowledge and experiences with their Gambian counterparts.
She noted that the donation of valuable medical equipment to the teaching hospital is within the scope of a project which was undertaken by TIKA in collaboration with Ankara University in Turkey and The Gambia Ministry of Health.
The project, she said, aimed to reduce the rate of child and maternal mortality in The Gambia.
However, she expressed gratitude to Ankara University for its generous support to the health sector of The Gambia in the form of training, while she also thanked the Gambia Ministry of Health and its officials for the successful implementation of many TIKA projects in the area of health in The Gambia, “and a special thanks to the Turkish Ambassador to The Gambia H.E.F. Turker Oba for his support to TIKA Banjul office.”
Meanwhile, the Gambia Chief Medical Director, Dr. Mustapha Bittaye delivered a welcome remark while Dr. Babanding Sabally delivered a keynote address at the handing-over ceremony.
