By Fatou Sillah
Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, the minister of information, media, and broadcasting services, has described the country’s healthcare system as one of the best in the subregion, citing improvements in hospital infrastructure, ambulance services, and medical equipment under President Adama Barrow’s administration.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Dr. Ceesay said the government had rehabilitated the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, equipped most of its rooms with air conditioning and medical gas cylinders, and constructed new health facilities, including one in Farato.
“For the first time, The Gambia’s healthcare sector today is one of the best in the subregion, and we can all be proud of that,” he said.
Responding to reports of patients lying on hospital floors, Dr. Ceesay said many of those pictured were relatives accompanying patients rather than patients themselves. He acknowledged, however, that emergency departments sometimes experience overcrowding, forcing medical personnel to treat patients without available beds.
He conceded that treating patients on hospital floors was unacceptable but said healthcare workers sometimes had little choice when facilities were overwhelmed.
Dr. Ceesay also said the country’s ambulance fleet had expanded from 60 vehicles in 2017 to 180, with Riders for Health managing operations, including fuel and maintenance costs.
He credited the administration with investing in medical equipment, healthcare facilities, and personnel, describing the changes as a significant improvement in healthcare delivery.
“Now what we are witnessing is a total transformation in the healthcare sector,” he said.
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