Africa-Press – Gambia. Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Gambia’s Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, has asserted that the nation’s healthcare system has seen significant improvements over the past eight years.
Speaking during an appearance on the radio program “Coffee Time with Peter Gomez” on West Coast Radio, Dr. Ceesay commended the Ministry of Health for what he described as “tremendous progress,” particularly in enhancing access to healthcare services across the country.
“I think the minister of health has done a tremendous job in transforming the healthcare sector; yes, there are still challenges, but in terms of access, we have built more health centers than ever before,” he said.
Dr. Ceesay highlighted the expansion of health infrastructure in rural and underserved regions, citing new facilities in communities such as Jali in Kiang West, Tumana, Mankamang Kunda, Jokadou, and Salikeni in Badibou. “These are places where now women, children, and even men can go and access healthcare with dignity,” he said.
In addition to infrastructure development, Dr. Ceesay pointed to efforts aimed at improving the quality of healthcare delivery, notably the establishment of a postgraduate medical training program at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH). This initiative, he said, is designed to enhance local capacity by training Gambian doctors, consultants, and specialists.
“Everybody, every citizen can now access healthcare, and the quality has really gone up. We’ve also ensured that we create a postgraduate school at the EFSTH to train our own doctors, our consultants, and our specialists and not rely on external technical support. So, I think there is progress,” he said.
When asked whether the healthcare system is better today than it was seven years ago, Dr. Ceesay responded emphatically: “Is the healthcare system better today than seven years ago? I can say with a bold yes, and that is a fact,” he said.
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