By Yero S. Bah
The Gambia’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh has backed the collaboration between Government of The Gambia, through his Ministry, and the Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit The Gambia, vouching for the latter as an internationally recognized research medical institute.
Dr. Samateh, who served as Senior Consultant General Surgeon and Head of Department of Surgery of the RVTH, and is also a Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons (FWACS), noted that in most countries, governments do partner with research institutes to combat such outbreaks and develop a better understanding of viruses or diseases such as Covid-19.
The minister was responding to critics who see the partnership as a sign of failure on the side of the health system of the Gambia, as they also continue to raise questions as to why the country does not have her own public testing laboratories that could detect Covid-19.
Dr. Samateh enlightened critics that even in the West, research centers do collaborate with governments to conduct such complicated medical researches. He disclosed that plans are underway to strengthen the laboratories countrywide, especially for the Kotu public laboratory center for better service delivery.
Speaking at his regular press briefings on the Coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, in Banjul, Health Minister Samateh indicated that rules governing the coronavirus pandemic changes as the virus evolves in the country.
“The initial regulations were to quarantine people coming from hot-spots nations, while those who are not from such places were just tested at the border entry points and allowed to proceed, provided they show no signs and symptoms of the pandemic. However, he held that those initial measures are no longer applicable as total border and air closures were pronounced by President Adama Barrow in his subsequent addresses to the nation.
According to him, even people don’t show signs and symptoms at the initial stages could potentially infect others since the virus could incubate in human systems for longer days without showing up, as research indicates.
Dilating on the issue of treatment of coronavirus patients, the Gambia’s Health Minister said since there is no specific treatment or cure for the coronavirus, globally and Gambia not an exception, health authorities only give out supportive treatment methods to Covid-19 patients.
Among the supportive treatment measures implemented by health officials is psychotherapy and monitoring the patients to offer any necessary interventions as and when needed by them, explained the minister. He also informed the press that, service personnel suspected of having the virus were also quarantined and monitored, just like any other person.
Pointing out that, as of that date, five samples taken for Covid-19 tests were negative, and they included the first and the third Covid-19 confirmed cases of the country, the health chief announced: “Therefore, as per the WHO guidelines, the first and third confirmed cases of Covid-19 have recovered from the virus.”
However, he made it clear that this creates no room for complacency as the disease continues to escalate across the globe. The Gambia registered only four confirmed cases whilst one Bangladeshi national died from the virus and all were imported, with no local transmissions, so far.
Globally, over 981,272 Covid-19 cases are confirmed in 200 countries and territories since the start of the pandemic, while deaths toll have risen to over 50, 253, worldwide.
The country’s Health Minister challenged Gambians to work together in fighting this pandemic, stating people must follow all the rules and regulations as well as report any suspected cases.
