Three premature babies have died at the polyclinic of the Gambia’s main referral hospital on Monday evening following a transformer explosion along Marina Parade in Banjul.
The incident plunged the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) area into pitch-darkness and seriously affected medical interventions at the polyclinic.
The development has raised grave concerns and questions about the electricity situation at the main referral hospital.
The reliability of power supply and the availability of alternative electricity source such as standby generators at health facilities across the country, especially those providing medical care for critically-ill and vulnerable patients like premature infants, have become more critical and pressing than ever before to prevent such occurrences.
The tragic event at polyclinic has also cast light on possible ramifications of overcrowding in the EFSTH’s neonatal unit.
A source familiar with the situation informed JollofNews that the high rate of premature births often puts strains on the facility.
“At times, one incubator is used to accommodate about four premature babies due to the high rate of premature births,” the source revealed, highlighting the accompanying pressures on medical staff and equipment.
Though authorities have yet to issue a formal statement, an investigation into the cause of the transformer explosion and the clinic’s emergency power readiness is anticipated.
