Africa-Press – Gambia. The Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmed Lamin Samateh, has revealed that he was subjected to spiritual attacks during his tenure as Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) due to his efforts to restore accountability and discipline at the institution.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Dr. Samateh said he faced strong resistance from individuals opposed to his reform agenda aimed at promoting transparency within the hospital.“So I guess he has heard my strong stance against corruption. It is disheartening in the sense that these things could even be perceived, talk less of even happen. I was the CMD of the EFSTH. I did my best to bring about accountability to bring about sanity. It was difficult because those are the days that they will pour spiritual water on my car,” he said.
The minister explained that he often found his car drenched with water, which he believed was part of the spiritual attacks orchestrated by those who opposed his anti-corruption efforts. “Yes, you know I will come and meet the whole of my car wet because there were people who were against that,” he added.
Dr. Samateh noted that while the situation at EFSTH eventually stabilized, some of the bad practices later resurfaced. He confirmed that the police are currently investigating the findings of the recently released audit report on the hospital.
“We thought it was stabilized, we moved, and then some of the bad practices crept in, but I think the audit report is still being investigated; the police are looking at it, and they are looking at it diligently,” he stated.
The minister further disclosed that the management of EFSTH has been changed and expressed confidence in the new leadership team. “We have changed the management there, and Dr. Bittaye and team, I believe, will do a good job,” he said.
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