Antoon Jansen and Lida Jansen, Dutch couple from Holland on Sunday inaugurated a new health centre that they sponsored, called Lida Foundation, at Passy Chilly Village, in Upper Niumi, North Bank Region.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Katim Touray, the alkalo of thevillage expressed delight with the couple and thanked them for the gesture. He described their intervention as timely, noting that health is among the pillars of development. He took the opportunity to urge other institutions to emulate the donors in a bid to assisting government in the health sector.

Buba H Jallow, the representative from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) expressed gratitude on behalf of the NBR regional health director, and thanked the donors for constructing a health post in the village.He noted that government alone cannot do it all. According to him, Passy Chally is the only village in Upper Niumi that has a health post, where all its satellite villages attain health care services once in a month.

Jallow revealed that the health centre is quite beneficial to the community and expressed hope that the partnership will go a long way in assisting the MoHSW. He then assured the donors that the health centre together with the materials will be put into good use.

Amadou Touray, the village health worker, also described the initiative as timely, while thanking the coordinator, Oumie Jallow, a native of the village, through whom the project was brought to them. He therefore described Oumie as a good citizen. He appealed to the MoHSW to assist them with nurses who will stay in the village, as well asan ambulance for emergency cases.

For her part, Oumie Jallow, the project coordinator of Passy Chally, applauded the donors for assisting her village. She explained that she once visited her village together with Antoon and Lida Jansen, and her people explained their problems to her. According to her, she felt so bad and decided to tell Antoon and Lida Jansen, who, she said, promised to render their support by building a health centre in the village.

The project, Madam Jallow informed, started in 2010 and finished in 2011. She described the donors as great people and urged the other institutions to come forward to help the health sector. For his part, Antoon Jansen thanked the villagers for the turn out, noting that unity inspired them to join hands as one family. He urged the health workers to make best use of the health centre.

Delivering the vote of thanks, Amie Gai, ofthe village midwifery urged the government to assist them with nurses and an ambulance. At the end of the inauguration ceremony, the Dutch couple donated hospital materials; such as electric lamp, gloves, medicines, bed sheets, dressing materials among others to the health centre.