The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Hatab Fadera
6 November 2009
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The Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh has reiterated his unrelenting commitment towards ensuring that corruption and mismanagement of public properties does not exist in the government machinery.
He expressed his dissatisfaction with the wrong doings in the health sector, citing what he called the unacceptable attitude of drug theft menace in the sector as drugs are being sold at private pharmacies at the expense of the nation. President Jammeh was speaking yesterday afternoon at State House in Banjul, while presiding over the swearing-in ceremony of the new minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Abubakar Gaye.
As a constitutional requirement, the new minister took the oath of office, allegiance and secrecy, promising the leadership of his commitment to execute his duties without ?fear or favour, affection or ill? administered by Dr Njogu Bah, secretary to Cabinet. The president used the opportunity to express his resolve to ensure that the health sector gets rid of people who are in the habit of such practices and do not wish the country well, noting that health is among three key sectors to the socio-economic advancement of the country.
He thanked Dr Gaye for accepting to undertake what he called a difficult task, given the fact that the health being of the country depends on it. ?We cannot think of a wealthy nation when the nation itself is not healthy,? he said. ?We have done everything possible to make sure that gone are the days when prescriptions are only given for you to go to private pharmacies. The reality is that those days are still lingering,? stated the president.
He observed that despite all the millions government spent to make sure that there is no drug shortage at the Central Medical Store, drugs are being stolen to find their way to private pharmacies owned by personnel of Medical and Health. This undesirable attitude, he emphasised must stop; thus expressing his resolve to clean up the Health ministry. ?I am not opposed to anyone having a pharmacy, but you must make sure that your pharmacy is not stocked from public drugs that are procured for the interest of the nation,? he said.
To this end, the president tasked the new minister to ensure that there is an inspectorate unit at the ministry that will ensure that private pharmacies are monitored and inspected with a view to ensuring that they are not stocked with public drugs. The president also spoke about the need for a robust and effective management system at the said ministry, noting that a lot of things are going wrong. ?As we speak, some of the machines have been broken at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH): machines are less than three years old due to bad management, bad maintenance, and careless attitude to public equipment,? he indicated. What is interesting, according to him, is the fact that hospital ambulances have enough fuel to carry firewood for officials, but no fuel for emergency services for patients who need urgent medical attention. ?I have already instructed the police or the security forces to be checking on ambulances, and where it is found that an ambulance is not on official mission, they should arrest the driver because it is becoming unacceptable,? he added.
He then urged Minister Gaye to embark on familiarisation tour to the health facilities as well as to be vigilant of the activities in the sector. President Jammeh used the opportunity to warn civil servants of irregularity, unpunctuality and negligence of duty to work, observing that many officials go to work late and neglect their work while in office. Speaking earlier, the vice president and minister of Women?s Affairs, Her Excellency Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, congratulated the new minister and enjoined him to do his best.
She underscored the importance of the health sector, noting that it is among the social sectors that are very critical to the development of this country. She highlighted the massive investment of President Jammeh to the sector that earned the country one of the best health care delivery systems in the sub-region. The health sector, she added, has given a lot of prominence, which have resulted to the numerous achievements.
She reiterated that progress has been achieved in the health sector, and stressed the need for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to complement the efforts of the government. She assured Minister Gaye of their collaboration and support at all times, noting that with God?s guidance, he will be able to live up to expectation. The secretary general and head of the Civil Service, Abdoulie Sallah, expressed similar sentiments.
For his part, Dr Abubakar Gaye thanked the Almighty Allah for the opportunity to serve the country through President Jammeh. ?I will thank our dynamic leader in whose heart God has placed me and has accepted God?s will to appoint me as the minister of Health. I am grateful and do hope that I will never disappoint you and you will never be disappointed,? the new minister assured. Present at the swearing in ceremony were the cabinet ministers.
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