Africa-Press – Gambia. President Adama Barrow and Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, Demba Sabally, have defended the shortage of medicines in Gambian hospitals, arguing that no health facility in the world is fully stocked with every drug.
Speaking in Farafenni during a joint meeting between Upper Baddibu and Sabach Sanjal as part of his ongoing “Meet the People Tour,” President Barrow said it is unrealistic to expect hospitals to provide all medications free of charge.
“There is no hospital in the world where you can get everything for free,” Barrow said. “Even in America, one of the richest countries, hospitals are more expensive than anywhere else.”
He added that some Gambians living abroad return home for medical treatment because it is more affordable. “If you go to the U.S. and need a tooth extraction, it’s cheaper to come to The Gambia, get it done, and return,” he remarked.
Barrow emphasized that criticism of the health sector often overlooks the government’s progress, saying, “We have traveled before sitting in this country. Everything they are saying, we know it.”
Minister Sabally echoed the president’s sentiments, dismissing claims that newly built hospitals are “empty houses.”
“We have all seen how many hospitals the president has opened across the country,” Sabally said. “But when you listen to radio stations and social media, they say these hospitals are empty and without doctors. These are misleading statements.”
He further argued that the hospitals established under President Barrow’s administration “are unmatched within the sub-region,” insisting that critics deliberately ignore these achievements to discredit the government.
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