By Ndey Sowe
Ousman Sillah, the National Assembly Member (NAM) for Banjul North, has recently donated an assortment of medical consumables and equipment from the Royden Revolve Rotary Club of the United Kingdom to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) in Banjul.
At a brief presentation ceremony held at the country’s main referral hospital, the Banjul North NAM said he is really elated to perform this function of presenting medical items to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital.
Hon. Sillah said he is a stakeholder with multiple stakes as far as the issue of health is concerned. The first, he said, is that as a human being he may be in need of the services offered by the hospital at one time or the other. He added that being an elected representative and a member of the National Assembly Select Committee on Health mandated him to support the health sector as well as its Chairperson made him all the more a multiple stakeholder who is duty bound to support the sector.
“So, you can see the multiple roles, concerns and interests that I have which makes me so happy, so privileged and so honoured to be a transmitter of these items,” said the Banjul North NAM.
He said the donated medical items being presented consist of nutritious drinks, medication, blood collecting materials, needles and syringes, baby clothes, adult diapers, dressing pads, a wheel chair, two walking aids, etc.
The Banjul North lawmaker said these medical items came together with the assortment of vocational training tools, educational and sports materials in a 20-foot container shipment said to be worth £34,000 pounds and which he recently received from the Royden Revolve Rotary Club of the United Kingdom for the proposed Crab Island TVET Centre.
“The donors included the medical items for me to present to this apex facility the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital as part of the support to the health care service delivery,” said Sillah.
The Banjul North Parliamentarian said he knows all the challenges facing the health sector by virtue of his position as a member of the National Assembly Select Committee on Health through his interaction with the sector.
“I have been interacting with the sector and I know that it is in dire need of support in terms of consumables, equipment, resources, training, among many other needs,” said Sillah.
He emphasised that health is one of the most important sectors in this country, adding that as such “it should be the business of every one, Gambians and non-Gambians residomg in this country as we may be in need of health services at one time or the other as human beings”.
He noted that it is the duty of everyone to support the health sector and that this is what has motivated the desire and need for this gesture.
The Banjul North NAM said the EFST Hospital as the apex health service delivery facility is in need of these items. “This is a token which is not sufficient or adequate to satisfy all the needs but it is at least filling a small gap,” he added.
He concluded by thanking the management for coming forward to receive the items and expressed hope that they will be utilised accordingly.
In receiving the donated items on behalf of the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of EFSTH, Mr. Malang Ndong, Director of Administration and Human Resources, expressed gratitude to the honorable member for Banjul North for the donation.
He added that the honorable is always supportive to the health sector in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Health Committee of the National Assembly.
“These items here are very useful and will definitely impact positively on the lives of the patients benefiting from them,” said the Director of Administration and Human Resources.
Mr. Ndong said the donation is very timely and useful to the hospital and also assured the Banjul North NAM that the medical items will be effectively utilised, adding that the items will help greatly in the treatment and lives of patients in the hospital.
Speaking earlier, Mr. Sanneh, Office of the PRO EFSTH, thanked the Banjul North NAM for the gesture, adding that they cannot sufficiently express how appreciative and happy they are to this donation. He said they attach so much importance to it and urged others to support this main referral hospital. “This is what we expect of representatives of the people who would always think about the people,” said Sanneh.
