By Fatou Sillah
Sixteen medical specialists from the United States have arrived in The Gambia to offer free surgical and medical care for children, part of a joint mission between Children’s Surgery International and the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, the country’s main referral center.
The team—which includes surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and pediatricians—is in the country from Nov. 13 to 23 to conduct surgeries, provide clinical training, and deliver critical medical supplies.
On Sunday, the group held a pediatric surgical screening at the hospital in Banjul. The initiative was coordinated by the Gambian Embassy in Washington and Impact Health Gambia, a nonprofit that supports the country’s health sector. Children’s Surgery International, based in Minnesota, provides free pediatric surgeries and training in underserved regions around the world.
In a parallel effort, Impact Health Gambia donated a shipment of medical equipment to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital, and Kanifing General Hospital. The supplies—including vital-signs monitors, crutches, medical drills, and computer monitors—were sourced through the organization’s network of U.S.-based donors. The handover was held on Sunday at the teaching hospital.
Abdou Wahab Manjang, the founder and chief executive of Impact Health Gambia, said the donations and the visiting surgical mission were designed to address persistent gaps in the country’s healthcare system. He urged hospital administrators to put the new equipment to effective use.
“Let’s utilize this resource that has been given to the hospital out of goodwill to support the delivery services of patients. Basically, to have those tangible resources. We have donated 20 vital signs monitors. These monitors basically look at the patient’s blood pressure, oxygen, and heart rate to help the clinicians to assess and take action in a timely manner,” he said.
Mr. Manjang further called for stronger collaboration between the Gambian health sector and international partners to accelerate progress and address persistent gaps in the system.
“We expect this equipment to be utilized to the best, but also maintained, because it is all about maintenance. You can have thousands of pieces of equipment, but if you don’t put maintenance into it, you’re basically driving it out of its purpose,” he said.
Todd Stinson, a board member of Children’s Surgery International, said the organization’s mission extended beyond performing operations. A core goal, he said, is to build local capacity by training Gambian surgeons to eventually carry out specialized procedures independently.
“A big part of the mission we have is not only to do the procedures themselves but to help train the local physicians to do similar procedures. So the model is that we will come and do procedures together for a period of time, and then after a while, you don’t need us anymore,” he said.
Dr. Cherno S. Jallow, a consultant pediatric surgeon and deputy chief medical director at the teaching hospital, welcomed the partnership, calling it an important step toward expanding specialized pediatric care in the country. He thanked both organizations for what he described as a sustained commitment to strengthening the nation’s health services.