By: Ousman Saidykhan
The Ministry of Health has validated a bill seeking to establish the first ever post-graduate medical training in the Gambia to improve health service delivery in the country.
The validation which was held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel on the 14th July 2022 began with a “technical session” where the Bill was scrutinized by delegates from the health sector and with assistance from top individuals from established colleges in Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria. These experts were present to guide the process, having already gone through it in their various countries.
“There will be many challenges, even from your residents, from your faculties for funding policies. But let me encourage you not to give up. Remain strong. Please, don’t give up,” John Mulbah, the 1st Vice President of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons advised.
The bill, when becomes an Act, will see the Gambia get what will be called “the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Gambia” one of whose objectives would be offering internationally recognized training and certification in relevant faculties within the college.
“I’m certain by the end of the day, the Gambia would be proud to have validated a very important bill that will strengthen the health sector and also the health service delivery,” Fanta Bai Secka, a representative of the Permanent Sectary, Ministry of Health said in her welcoming statement.
The Minister of Health, Dr Ahmed Lamin Samateh who claimed the Barrow government inherited what he called a “challenging health sector” with outdated or no life-saving equipment and poor infrastructure, was quick to mention the need for capacity building of health workers in The Gambia.
“But of course, irrespective of whatever we have as a health sector, even if the hospitals are beautiful as the hotel we are in right now, if we do not have competent people, qualified, well-trained people to provide the services, we’ve not started. And I think that is why this is very important today. We seriously need to build capacity and we seriously need to train people,” Samateh said.
