‘Love the Gambia Foundation’ headed by a British couple, Pamela and Peter, Friday donated a modern ultra-sound scanner and oxygen concentrator worth £100, 000 and £50, 000 respectively, to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare at a ceremony held at State House.

The equipment has the potential to do abdominal scanning, chest, heart and blood vessels scanning, among other functions. The oxygen concentrator, a life supporting device, has the potential to support premature babies and others at the Accident and Emergency Unit as well as those with asthma, among other things.

Receiving the donated machines on behalf of the Health Ministry, the president of the Republic, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, hailed the move taken by the donors in complementing government’s efforts in augmenting the health sector, which he described as very vital to the country’s development.

He said: “We want to thank the donors, we still need your assistance and we will not stop at requesting for medical equipment but if they can also provide some experts to train our people also on the job-training before we can take them for placement in the university, I think that will also be a welcome gesture. Wherever they can get experts that can give a helping hand in training personnel it will also be most welcome.”

The Gambian leader seized the opportunity to express his concern over the behaviour of some medical personnel at the hospital, saying after government spent resources in training them, they turned their back on the country that needs their service most. He said this has to change, if the country is to attain any meaningful development. “What I want people to do or the Health Ministry and the RVTH in particular, is to identify patriotic, reasonable and loving Gambians for us to train them.

In some of these areas, once you train somebody he becomes an international commodity. Before training them, they will think that The Gambia is a greener pasture but after spending so much money to train them, then they now realise that The Gambia is not the greener pasture but a brown pasture and then forget that we spent meager resources on them for their training and they decide to leave. This is unacceptable,” the president further stated, while urging other friends of The Gambia to join hands in developing not only the health sector, but the whole country.

Speaking earlier, the minister of Health and Social Welfare, Fatim Badjie, described the coming of the equipment as timely, as it will in no small measure enhance service delivery at the RVTH. Her words: “The ultra-sound scanner has come at a very timely moment when it is very much needed. Of recent the one that has been in use at the RVTH began to lose its life. It came at a very timely moment and I am sure it will go a long way in helping to diagnose more through the Scanning Department at the RVTH. The oxygen concentrator is a life support, it supports many people, ranging from the new born babies to children and other people at the Accident and Emergency Unit as well as those with asthma, among others.”

Also speaking at the ceremony, Professor Ousman Nyan, the chief medical director of the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital highlighted the vital role the machine could play in the delivery of health care service. “It will do abdominal scan, chest, heart and blood vessels scan among other various scans. It is a very welcome development and I am sure our radiologist and the other scanners in the department would be very happy,” he said.

Abdou Jassey who spoke on behalf of the donors, described his friends (Pamela and Peter) as good friends of The Gambia, as they have in the past rendered similar assistance to the health sector.

Buramanding Kinteh, the director of the Human Development Society, also joined the previous speakers to highlight the potentials of the machines. He said that the move is a manifestation of the love they have for President Jammeh and the need to complement his efforts in developing the country, particularly the health sector.

He added: “I can assure that my organisation is fully appreciative of President Jammeh’s ambition to make this country a modern state in the sub-region. It is the duty of Gambians from all walks of life to give their maximum and unflinching support to achieve the president’s goal.”