By Ramatoulie Jawo
Impact Health the Gambia (IHTG) was on Thursday, December 29, 2022, launched in the Gambia. The United States registered nonprofit aims to provide quality healthcare services in the Gambia.
IHTG is a registered Non-Profit Organization with tax-exempt status (501c3) in the United States of America and has as its objectives the provision of essential medical supplies to public hospitals in The Gambia, providing quality healthcare improvement consultations, and facilitating training for mental health and addiction services.
In his welcoming remarks, the country representative of Impact Health the Gambia, Baboucarr Saine, said his organization is here to serve every Gambian.
Abdou Wahab Manjang, the Founder of Impact Health the Gambia said their vision is to transform the Gambia’s Health Care Sector.
“Our vision is to transform the Gambia’s Healthcare System for operational excellence. Where care providers will set up to make a positive impact through a continuous improvement culture that promotes safe and quality Healthcare, ” Mr. Manjang said.
Mr. Manjang also expounds on their mission which is to: “Promote Operational Excellence, By Supporting Public Health Hospital in the Gambia With Basic Medical Supplies, Process Improvement Consultations and Training on Mental Healthcare Services Delivery to all Without Discrimination.”
Mr. Manjang said they are unique in the sense that IHTG is approaching their mission in three areas which are; Providing Medical supplies, improvement of the Health Care System, and offering seminars for Mental Health and addiction services.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Innovarx Ismaila Badjie, said it is high time Gambians take care of their healthcare system because Healthcare goes with empathy.
“Why Gambians need to be in charge of their healthcare is because Healthcare and empathy go together. Abdou Wahab here sees his mothers and his grandmothers. So everything he is doing, he will be thinking about his Mothers and his Grandmothers,” he said.
Dr. Badjie added that in the Gambia people don’t need emergency care all they need is to make sure Healthcare is accessible easily.
While speaking on behalf of the Chief of Defense Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Abdoulie Manneh, said the majority of the investment the Army is doing in Health Services is going back to the Gambian people and it is part of their Constitutional mandate.
“We have different Medical Doctors and different Specialists. we have nurses of different specialists who are soldiers, Public Health officers, and even Laboratory specialists we have it. We have been engaged in different areas of the Health System providing pertinent services. We also provide Laboratory Services and admission. Even the civilian population are been admitted to our Health Facilities. We have 80 Health Facilities across the country,” Lieutenant Colonel Manneh disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Banjul Rohey Malick Lowe commended the founder for his efforts and investment in the healthcare sector in the Gambia.
The launching ceremony was held at a local Hotel in Kololi and the event was attended by leaders from various Public Hospital Administration departments, the Ministry of Health, Civil Society Organizations, the UN, and the Gambia Armed Forces.