By: Mama A. Touray
The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, in a recent interview on West Coast Radio, stated that the healthcare expansion under President Barrow’s leadership is unmatched. He made these remarks while discussing the significant achievements the current government has made in the health sector.
“When it comes to healthcare, the level of expansion under Barrow’s leadership is unparalleled. Access to healthcare is now widespread; we have built state-of-the-art health centers, all equipped with cutting-edge medical technology,” he said.
Dr. Ceesay continued, “The achievements we have made in the past seven to eight years in the healthcare sector are unprecedented. We have extended healthcare services to most rural areas, and for the first time in the history of this country, we are training consultants and specialists in The Gambia through the postgraduate program at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital.”
According to Dr. Ceesay, the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital now boasts state-of-the-art facilities, new X-ray machines, and is undergoing further renovations. “We have made significant improvements to the facility,” he added.
In response to questions about the availability of drugs at these “state-of-the-art facilities,” Dr. Ceesay said, “What the government can do is ensure the availability of medicines, and that is our priority. We procure drugs, and although our procurement system in The Gambia is sometimes rigid and not very flexible, which can make procurement challenging, our goal is to ensure that every health center is stocked with medicine.”
Dr. Ceesay further emphasized that the government’s objective is to ensure that every Gambian has access to quality healthcare, including access to good hospitals, doctors, and medication, which he said they are actively working toward.
