Independent NAM lambast APRC Government

Independent NAM lambast APRC Government

The independent national assembly member for Kombo Central Hon. Buba Ayi Sanneh has lambasted the ruling APRC for failing to honor the promise it made to the people of Kombo Central 17 years ago.

While contributing to the adjournment debate in the 2^nd legislative session of 2012, Hon Sanneh said the present government promised to build the Dimbaya-Marakisa road network, but it is 17 years now and noting has happen.

The road, which he described as “very important”, is in very bad condition. The people using this road are women traders and gardeners who are faced with lots of difficulties.

He said the ruling, Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC)-Government should stick to its promise and ensure the road problem is fixed. 

“The road is a major economic benefit to the country and the people of Kombo central as it links Gambia to neighbouring Senegal,” he said. “It can also be used as an import and export route from other countries in the sub-region.”

Hon. Sanneh also laments the poor state of the Market and Health Center in Brikama. 

“The Brikama market is in a very poor condition. Waste materials are been dumped everywhere and women petty traders are been harassed by the market Authorities,” he said. “These poor women are harassed on daily basis and cannot have access to a place to sell their products.” 

He said the Brikama health center is been neglected and many deaths are occurring at the health center due to power cuts or in adequate water and sanitation.

He said on many occasions patients are taken to the health center only to find out that there is no electricity. “This is a cause for concern and need to be seriously looked into,” he stressed. 

The Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital, Banjul

Hon. Saine Unhappy With Condition At RVTH

 The ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction’s (APRC) National Assembly member  for Banjul Central, Hon. Abdoulie Saine has criticized the apparent poor services offered at the country’s main referral hospital, the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH). 

Contributing to the adjournment debate on the 2^nd legislative session of 2012 in Banjul, Hon. Saine expresses grave concern over the poor quality of services offered at the RVTH.

“Government has pump millions of monies and resources to the Hospital for drugs and other medications for patients, yet patient who go there are been prescribe for drugs to buy at private pharmacies,” he argued.

He also argued that even patient whose prescription is paracitamol (cheapest drug) are referred to pharmacies to buy the drugs. 

“This is very unfair,” he said.  “Drugs at private pharmacies are very expensive for many Gambians.”

Hon. Saine believes something is wrong somewhere and the authority responsible for RVTH (in this case the Health Ministry) should urgently look into the problem. 

He revealed that patients admitted at the RVTH private Bloc are charge D250 per night while the condition of the bloc is very poor.  “It is a big disgrace,” he said. 

People are running away from the RVTH all because of its neglected condition, he said.

In April this year, Gambia’sPresident dismissed the RVTH Chief Medical Director, Dr. Ahmed Secka anddissolved the Board of Directors of the Hospital.

An April 27 press statement from the Office of the President accused doctors and nurses of “laissez faire attitude” towards patients at the RVTH which has “resulted in unnecessary deaths and sufferings for many people.”

The statement said the “tragic loss of lives and sufferings” could have been avoided, had it been that those that have been entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of patients had paid special attention to their welfare.

 In an interview, Yahya Jammeh told the nation’s broadcaster: “You go to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH) or any hospital, for that matter; what we thought was history is coming back and, that is, you go there and the nurses do not care. They sit chatting, and they are very rude. Or the doctors are nowhere to be seen and, at the end of the day, they are being paid salaries.”

President Jammeh decided to add RVTH to the many institutions already under his purview, and equally reappointed Professor Ousman Nyan, the provost, School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of The Gambia as the chief medical director of the Hospital.

Source: The Voice