By MUHAMMED SAILU BAH
IDA Bass Kidney Foundation, a UK based charitable organization founded
by a Gambian in June 2013, donated medical items and 12 kidney
dialysis worth about D5.3 million to the newly built Haemodialysis
Unit at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Children’s Wing in
Banjul.The donation took place at the Children’s Wing of ESFTH, on Monday, 12
October, 2015.
The medical items and machines were received by Omar Sey, Minister of
Health and Social Welfare, who expressed his profound gratitude in
receiving such donation from a concern Gambian resident outside of the
country.
Minister Sey said this go a long way in helping the treatment of kidney
patients, as the Hospital was having few machines and equipment in the
treatment of kidney diseases. He also said it will help to reduce the
burden of going for overseas treatment for this particular disease.
“We are committed to this project and we assure you that we are ready
to work closely with IDA Bass Foundation in the development of health
issues, especially on kidney diseases,” he noted.
In handing over the items, SaileyFlasrud, founder of the IDA Bass
Kidney Foundation based in UK, said “I was motivated when my mother
died few years ago through a kidney failure, so I decided to come with
this initiative to help the Haemodialysis Unit of the EFSTH. Since
then, the Charity has been working tirelessly in improving kidney care
in the Gambia and this includes providing dialysis equipment, medical
equipment for kidney patients and also training of health personnel.”
According to Madam Sailey, the IDA Bass Foundation is working towards
signing anMoU with the ministry of health but is yet to be finalised
due to some processes it has to undergo.
She said the new Haemodialysis Unit project at the EFSTH started in
May last year when the building was under construction. “It was last
year May when we decided to convert it to Haemodialysis Centre, so few
adjustments and extensions were made”.
The IDA Bass Foundation provides all the medical equipment as well as machines.
She said she would have loved to see the building fully completed by
now and start operations but that is not the case. She, however,
expressed hope that with the commitment of the government and the
health ministry, when she comes back in January 2016 for the official
inauguration she will find patients being dialysing.
The hospital’s Public Relation Officer,MomodouLaminJammeh, said the
building consists of a ward for patients, a water treatment centre,
reception area for the escort of the patients, 3 offices and 5 toilet
facilities, which cost about D4 million.
Other speakers, who thanked the Foundation, were Dr. Lamin S. Sima,
Head of Nephrology, andProfessor Khalil, theChief Medical Doctor (CMD)
EFSTH.
