By Lamin Fatty
TheBasse District Hospital, last week Friday, 1st September received a brown new ambulance donated by the CONTANO Foundation, through the Ministry of Health.
According to Dr Ebrima Baldeh, the Regional Health Director for Upper River Region, the CONTANO Foundation is a Belgium foundation that collaborates with the Basse Hospital.
Earlier, Dr Baldeh said the ambulance saga is over as they have received a brand new one for the Basse District Hospital.
Prior to the provision of the said ambulance, members of the community decried the frequent breakdowns of the old ambulance while on referrals to Bansang General Hospital. This, they said, was uncalled for and was putting the lives of patients at risk.
However, they commended the Belgian foundation and the Ministry of Health for swiftly responding to their concern. “The issue of an ambulance is no more a problem here and the beauty is that we have our own mechanic workshop with mechanics where all the ambulances and other motor vehicles for health services are maintenance,” he expounded.
According to Dr Baldeh, the ambulance at Basse Health Centre does get problems like any other motor vehicle, but that does not mean it was not working.
“Ambulance is a machine like any other motor vehicle and it breaks down, but that does not mean that it is completely not working,” he reiterated.
He said sometime last year, a delegation from the foundation visited the hospital and pledged to provide a second ambulance for the hospital, culminating with the donation.
“However, as the Ministry of Health is in contact with the ‘Riders for Health’ and the new Ambulance must be put in the system before use, that was why the new ambulance was parked here at the Regional Health Directorate pending those processes,” he said.
