(JollofNews) -As Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) is the main referral hospital of the country, which receives critical patients from the other health facilities in the country and also being a place where doctors and other health workers are expected to be trained on the best standards of patient care, one would think that it will be given due attention by any government that considers itself fit to preside over the affairs of the people.
Unfortunately for our country, this has not been the case under the former government of Yahya Jammeh and so far nothing has changed under the new Coalition government of Adama Barrow either. Since the new government took over and the subsequent appointment of the Health Minister, the situation at EFSTH which was inherited from the former regime is getting worse by the day without any effort being seen to be done by the government to improve it. Almost two months after her appointment, we are yet to know who our Health Minister is. She didn’t come even once to see how things are going on at the hospital and what problems we are faced with daily in our work. It is said that knowing a problem is one step towards solving it.
The prevailing situation under our current Chief Medical Director Professor Khalil is deplorable to say the list.
The unwise decision of making Professor Khalil as the CMD of EFSTH was made during the time President Jammeh. I believe they settled on professor Khalil because of the fact that none of our able professionals at the time were unwilling to accept an offer due to the irrational behavior of President Jammeh who was used to firing people from their jobs for no good reasons.
Thanks to Professor Khalil and Yahya Jammeh the whole hospital is in shambles. There is a shortage of almost everything ranging from bulbs for lighting the rooms, thread, oil and sewing needles for tailors, welding machines for welders, spare parts for very essential and expensive machines, bed sheets for patients, absorbent gauze and other essential consumables. How can we continue to operate under this condition without the tools to do our work and yet expected to deliver quality services to our people? What kind of doctors and health professionals do we expect to produce when they are learning and being trained in such an environment?
Whenever one makes a request to the hospital authorities for almost anything, the only response is that there is no money.
The coalition Government of Mr Barrow needs to act fast now if they have any desire to redeem the situation in this very important national institution unless if they intend to have it closed.
From A Concerned Staff
ie, in typical Gambian style, there are always positions to be filled, but never any work to be done!
I once sent a video I made to President Jammeh. I chose the background music to be;
“I ain’t Got No- I Got Life” by Nina Simone.
Am told he wasn’t at all pleased.
Bunch of idiots how nd why since her appointment cnt even visit the most important institution under her jurisdiction. Shame on her
Tell Me what you need and I will get it for you;
The things we need are Blood pressure Machines, Stetoscopes, Thermometers, Needle and Syringes, Bandages, Wielding Machines, Bed and Bed sheets, Dressing trays, Gali pots, Absorbent gauze [in the absent of which normal daily surgeries are impossible even during emergencies], Tool boxes for our Biomedical Engineers and plumbers, Spare parts for our CT Scanner, X-Ray machines and Autoclaves, Sutures , Anesthetic drugs, Hospital beds, Bed side Lockers, Surgical gloves, disposable examination gloves, Forceps [for wound dressings and surgeries], Scissors and medications etc.
Dear concerned staff
Thank you so much for sharing your concerns about the state of EFSTH. I want to inform you that the entire management and functions of the hospital is runned by a board. The board works very closely with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. I will also remind you that the hospital is semi autonomous meaningg it can hire staff and procure the necessary equipment and supplies on its own without interference from the ministry.
On the issue of some people not very familiar with the new Minister of Health, I would like to draw your attention to the fact the current minister was the Permanent Secretary and before that she was the PAS at the Ministry of health and she knows the majority of the health staff. Perhaps she may not know all the staff at the same but gradually she will catch up with names. I would like to appeal to everybody to give her some time to settle down.
Mr Njai, the Minister as the former Permanent Secretary would have been aware of the low staff morale in the ministry of health in general and the EFSTH in particular. Therefore one would have hoped that she will make it a priority to go out and meet the staff and reassure them that she is aware of their plight and that she will do everything within her power to change things for the better. A simple act like that could do wonders for morale. Gambians have goodwill for Barrow and his government, however that goodwill will soon change if him and ministers are not engaging their staff and the public in dialogue. Poor communication is bad for any form of relationship. I would suggest that you advice the minister to take a stroll to the hospital and talk to staff.
It should be understood that the Coalition Government cannot address all the problems of the EFSTH so soon, but it is unacceptable that the Minister of Health has still not visited the hospital. I would have thought that familiarisation tour to all areas under the ministry, would be the first items on any incoming minister’s “in tray”.
This is a government of unsociables with no money except just enough to pay its own wages; It is struggling to justify its own existence.
The Balance between growth and debt must be taken into consideration.
If by some or all means it can achieve growth/ all is possible.
If all it can do is grow debt then nothing is possible.
Abu Hamza/
If you are able;
Please ask your Medical Board to email me your shopping list. I am not certain which parts you need for your CT scanner or even if I can Get you an x-ray machine or two. But the rest should be within my compass.
iceking2565@aol.com