ANM Ousainu Darboe, Secretary General and Party Leader UDP.
By Fatou Sillah
Ousainou Darboe, the leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), promised on Tuesday to improve health care delivery and living conditions across The Gambia if his party wins the 2026 presidential election, criticizing what he described as widespread failures in the country’s hospitals.
Speaking to supporters in Sare Bakary, Mr. Darboe said medical facilities nationwide were struggling because of chronic shortages of essential medicines and weak management. Under a UDP government, he said, hospitals would be adequately stocked and staffed.
“If you go to the hospital, there is no medicine,” Mr. Darboe said. “But the United Democratic Party is promising the entire country that if you vote for the UDP, medicine will not be lacking in hospitals. We will have qualified doctors working in the hospitals.”
He said his party was committed to rebuilding the health care system to ensure that facilities are equipped with both medicines and trained personnel capable of meeting the needs of the population.
Mr. Darboe also addressed the issue of Gambians living abroad, arguing that years of poor governance had driven skilled professionals to seek opportunities elsewhere.
“We have many Gambians abroad with knowledge who have not returned because they are not satisfied with the way the country is being run,” he said. “They are serving other countries with their knowledge, to the benefit of those countries.”
He attributed the continued reluctance of many in the diaspora to return home to what he called ineffective governance since 1994.
“The aimless governments in this country from 1994 to date are why many Gambians are not ready to return,” he said.
Calling for national unity, Mr. Darboe urged citizens to listen to one another and take shared responsibility for safeguarding the country’s future.
“It is time to hear each other’s cry and protect our country,” he said.
He concluded by appealing to voters to support the UDP in the upcoming election, saying the party would prioritize reforms in health care, agriculture, and other key sectors to improve living standards nationwide.
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