By Seedy Jobe
United Democratic Party (UDP) Secretary General and Party Leader Ousainu Darboe on Saturday praised the government for constructing a new hospital in Jali but criticized what he described as an uneven distribution of healthcare infrastructure, arguing that major medical facilities should be spread more equitably across The Gambia.
Addressing supporters at a UDP rally in Kiang Jifarong, Mr. Darboe said improving the country’s healthcare system would require a broader national effort focused not only on buildings but also on the quality and accessibility of medical services.
“Let us join together and rescue this country,” Mr. Darboe said. “Let us come together to ensure that healthcare in the country is stable.”
He began by commending Health Minister Ahmadou Lamin Samateh and President Adama Barrow for the construction of the hospital in Jali.
“First, I want to congratulate the Minister of Health and the President for the work they have done in Jali and for the hospital they have built there. Yes, nobody will dispute that,” he said.
But Mr. Darboe argued that the government’s healthcare investments have been disproportionately concentrated in a few locations, leaving other parts of the country underserved.
Referring to remarks President Barrow made during a visit to Farato about a hospital with 1,500 beds, Mr. Darboe questioned both the claim and the wisdom of concentrating such capacity in a single area.
“I remember when President Adama Barrow went to Farato and boasted that they had built a hospital with 1,500 beds. But people disputed that claim,” he said.
He said regions such as the Lower River Region, North Bank Region, and Upper River Region also deserve substantial healthcare investments, arguing that quality medical facilities should be distributed nationwide rather than concentrated in one location.
Mr. Darboe also accused the government of overstating its achievements, saying that public officials relied on exaggerated claims instead of adopting a more balanced approach to healthcare development.
“But you use big words, big words that you yourself know are not true. And with all its falseness, you still did not do it the way it should have been done,” he said.
Turning to the UDP’s healthcare agenda, Mr. Darboe said the party would prioritize patient care alongside infrastructure if elected.
He pledged to strengthen maternal and child health services, eliminate overcrowded hospital wards, and improve conditions that force patients to sleep on hospital floors, infants to share incubators, and women in labor to share beds.
Mr. Darboe also emphasized the importance of investing in qualified medical professionals, arguing that hospitals cannot function effectively without skilled doctors and healthcare workers.
“When we talk about medical service, we are talking about people, not just infrastructure,” he said. “Service to the people. Efficient service to the people. That is what the UDP stands for.”
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