The minister of Health and Social Welfare recently concluded a two-day visit to health facilities and met regional health management teams in the Central River Region and Upper River Region respectively.

Accompanied by the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in The Gambia and senior officials of her Ministry, the Health minister and team visited facilities in Bansang, Brikama-Ba and Basse.

Speaking to the Daily Observer shortly after the visit, Fatim Badjie said it was meant to monitor the management of meningitis cases found in these regions and give moral support to the health workers in the field and also encourage them to continue the health education talks in the community and their routine RCH trekking. She stressed that all hands must be on deck to avert the situation in these regions. She also thanked the Medical Research Council (MRC) for the good collaboration.

During her meeting with the regional health team and hospital management in Bansang, both the regional health director in CRR, Baba Njie; and Babucarr Jammeh, the chief executive officer of Bansang Hospital, thanked the minister and team for the timely visit to the region. They noted that the visit enabled the minister to have firsthand information on some of the issues confronting the health sector.

In Basse, Baba Jeng, the regional health director for Upper River Region and Falu Tamba, the officer-in-charge of Basse Health Centre led the minister on a conducted tour of the health facility and later briefed her about some of the constraints they face in the course of their work. Minister Badjie assured them that some of the problems highlighted will be considered and addressed.