By Nelson Manneh
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has on Thursday 4th June 2020.donated sanitary materials to the Gambia Federation for the Disable.
The donated materials include two hundred gel sanitizers, two thousand gloves and one thousand face masks.
Mr. Modou A.F. Bahoum, Executive Director of the Federation said the Gambia has about three hundred thousand disable people and out of this, one hundred and twenty thousand are affected.
“Most of these disable people are not employed and they strive hard to make ends meet,” he said.
Director Bahoum said the disable people cannot be left behind and they need to be catered for in the fight against COVID-19.
“We the disable are part of society and we need support from all stakeholders because we are the most vulnerable people in the society,” he said. Bahoum said in this crucial moment, the disable needs assistance not only in sanitary materials but for food items as well.
‘‘We call on Government and other stakeholders to come to our assistance,’’ he said.
Modou Njai the Director of Health Promotion at the Ministry of Health said Government includes everybody in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know that the disables are part of society and needs to be catered for that is why we bring this PPEs to them for onward distribution to their members all over the country,” he said.
Director Njie said the Ministry is ready to partner with all institutions and individuals in the process and urged the executive members of the Disable Federation to also sensitize their members during the distribution of the sanitary items.
Lamin Manneh, Secretary General of the Federation of the Disable said they are not surprised to receive the PPEs from the Health Ministry; that they have been together with the Ministry since the country registered its first COVID-19 case in March 2020.
“We are not disabled. We are differently abled and we need to be considered in anything that Government does,” he said. SG Manneh said the Corona virus does not know any geographical boundary and does not discriminate between people.
“If we are affected, the country will not be at peace. So for the country to be free from the pandemic, the Ministry of Health needs to work with everybody, to end it” he said. Manneh urged Government and stakeholders to pay more attention to them as they are the most vulnerable people in the society.
“One of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in this country was a disable person. When he tested positive, the Ministry of Health paid more attention to him and this is what we expect,” he said; that he has since been treated and joined his family.
