By Makutu Manneh
Essa Mbye Faal, leader of the APP Sobeyaa political party, has strongly criticized President Adama Barrow’s recent remarks suggesting that some wards at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) in Banjul resemble hotel facilities. In a video posted on his Facebook page, Faal dismissed the president’s comments and described public hospitals in The Gambia as “death traps.”
Addressing a gathering, Faal accused the president of misrepresenting the true state of the country’s healthcare system.
“You were told before that hospitals in The Gambia are better than those in America,” Faal said. “But when the president’s mother fell ill, he used millions of our dalasis to send her to Senegal for treatment.”
He then asked the crowd whether they believed local hospitals resembled hotels. The audience responded with a resounding “no.”
Faal highlighted the challenges faced by patients, particularly women, who he said “pray to return home safely” after seeking medical care. He cited widespread shortages and poor conditions—including a lack of medicine, inadequate sanitation, water shortages, insufficient beds, overcrowded incubators, limited blood supply, and a lack of basic protective equipment such as gloves.
“With all these conditions, someone still stands before you and calls the hospital a hotel,” he said. “Would you believe that? Anyone who says that does not wish you well.”
Faal argued that such comments show a disconnect from the realities of the country’s healthcare system.
“Anyone who can look at those conditions and call it a hotel—there is something wrong with that person,” he added.
The APP Sobeyaa leader urged Gambians to vote President Barrow out of office in the 2026 presidential election, promising that a government under his leadership would be uncompromising in reform and accountability.
He pledged that those who have “stolen the country’s wealth” would be held responsible and that The Gambia would “attain its independence” under a Sobeyaa administration.
“A Sobeyaa government will put an end to the forceful seizure of citizens’ property,” Faal stated. “We will invest massively in the youth. We want young people to be independent. We will provide high-level skills training so that you can succeed right here in The Gambia.”
Faal also lamented the rising cost of living, noting that many families struggle to cover daily food expenses.
“It is sad that in today’s Gambia, D500 is not enough for daily meals,” he said. “This is why many households that manage to eat lunch often cannot afford dinner.”