By Yero S. Bah
The provision of quality healthcare is paramount to the overall objectives and achievement of quality health service delivery. Thus, the availability of drugs, relevant medical equipment and qualified health workers are pivotal to the provision of standard primary health care for grassroots communities in the Gambia.
The Nurse-in-Charge at the Farato Community-Based Clinic, Mr. Kebba Kinteh, on March 11, 2020, spoke to Mansa Banko Online in an interview at his office in Farato, where he delved into matters germane to the delivery of healthcare services to the people.
He informed this medium that monthly, the clinic registers over 50 labour and delivery cases, as the clinic serves the entire village of Farato and other catchment areas, inter alia Jambur and Busumbala.
Thus, it’s covering huge and densely communities. “As a health facility, we welcome everyone; our doors are open to all,” the Clinic’s senior nurse told this medium.
According to him, the Community Clinic admits patients suffering from sicknesses such as not-severe malaria cases, hypertension, blood pressure complications and uncomplicated labour cases; but all critical cases are usually referred to the Brikama Major District Hospital in Brikama West Coast Region.
Kinteh continued that they always refer critical cases to Brikama District hospital for further treatment and medical examinations.
On the issue of the availability of drugs, the N-in-C averred that shortage of drugs used to be a problem but not anymore, thanks to the positive intervention of patriotic natives of Farato and other philanthropists who frequently donate medical items and drugs to the community-based clinic.
Kinteh acknowledged also that both government and locals are always contributing to the maintenance of the clinic through voluntary donations of equipment and drugs.
On workers’ welfare and maintenance, the senior nurse hailed the government of the Gambia for not only shouldering and providing nurses to the health clinic, but also paying the salaries of these nurses.
Furthermore, the government, as Kinteh informed, also pays the electricity bills for the clinic as it managed to acquire the conventional form of electricity–contrary to the cash power system–through the help of some individuals who are keenly committed to the advancement of the clinic, at all times. The community of Farato takes charge of the monthly water bills, disclosed Nurse Kinteh. “We have both water and electricity available,” he told Mansa Banko Online.
The Nurse-in-Charge used the opportunity to thank his staffers for their hard-work and commitment to duty; the philanthropists and the government of the Gambia through the Ministry of Health, for their unflinching support.
