By Nelson Manneh
Abubacarr Darboe, one of the Faraba Banta victims evacuated to Dakar, Senegal, for overseas treatment, yesterday July 25th 2018, spoke to this reporter about his situation in that country.
Darboe said in an interview, that he is trying to walk by using crutches; that when he arrived at the hospital in Dakar, he was asked to buy crutches on his own because it was not part of his medical bills.
“I used part of the money given to me by the authorities to buy the crutches. The balance I am using to feed myself because the hospital authorities here, do not allow people to enter the hospital with food,” he said.
Darboe continued that feeding is a big problem in Dakar; that the money given to him is near exhaustion and he depends on relatives and friends, for his upkeep.
“When I arrived here, I thought the Gambian Ambassador in Dakar will visit me in the hospital, to know about my condition. But up to date, he never came. He was called several times on telephone, but he answered only once and never visited us at the hospital,” he said.
Darboe said he called his family back in Faraba Banta and they told him that the authorities did not visit them. He told this reporter that he comes from an extend family who struggle very hard, to make ends meet.
“I am from a big household and I know how we struggle to put food on the table. I was expecting the authorities to visit my family in Faraba Banta and give them a helping hand. But as I speak to you, this has not happened,” he said. He calls on the authorities to visit his family and give them a helping hand; that life in the provinces is very difficult especially during the rainy season; that as at now, he is facing financial challenges in Dakar and would like the Gambian Ambassador in Dakar to visit him and address his condition.
Readers could recall that Abubacarr Darboe was part of the last batch of the Faraba Banta victims who were discharged on Monday July 16th 2018, from the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul. He was discharged together with Pa Sulayman Jammeh. Darboe was evacuated to ‘L’Hopital Principal’.
It is exactly eleven days today since Abubacarr Darboe left for Dakar and confirmed that his health condition is getting better, despite the slow progress.
