Thousands of Gambians Sunday converged on the International Festival Ground in Kanilai to join the officials of the Presidential Treatment Programme (PTP) in celebrating the third anniversary of the treatment programme otherwise called the herbal medical breakthrough of The Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh.

Presided over by the man behind the breakthrough, President Jammeh, the celebration which was described as the biggest gathering of people at any particular place in this country so far this year had in attendance scores of dignitaries including the vice president and minister of Women's Affairs, Her Excellency Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, cabinet ministers, National Assembly members, senior government officials, venerable religious leaders, members of the diplomatic community and a cross-section of Gambians.

A key highlight of the grand occasion was a march past by the beneficiaries of the PTP, staff of the treatment programme, students, and youths amongst a host of other well-wishers; a move meant to show solidarity to President Jammeh for championing a humanitarian crusade the world has never seen before.

Sunday's celebration also provided a unique opportunity for all the beneficiaries of the treatment programme to further express their unreserved gratitude to President Jammeh for curing them and restoring them to good health. Gratitude was clearly written on the healthy faces of the beneficiaries of the treatment programme as they marched past the president. Among them were beneficiaries of the infertility treatment who successfully conceived and gave birth after undergoing the Gambian leader's herbal medical treatment. These ladies carried their babies as they marched along with others.

Addressing the crowd, President Jammeh praised Almighty Allah for all his blessings, before thanking the Gambian people and other well-wishers for their great show of solidarity since he began the humanitarian mission of salvaging humanity from the scourge of terrible and complicated diseases like HIV/AIDS that were initially thought to be a no go area for medicine. The president specifically thanked ex-patients especially the first batch of the PTP for the trust and confidence they had in him which encouraged them to seek for his herbal treatment.

Having stressed from the very onset that the treatment programme was by no means a way of amassing wealth or fame, President Jammeh reiterated this fact at the 3rd anniversary celebration, reminding the gathering that his herbal treatment although expensive is rendered free of charge to the patients. The concept of the treatment, the Gambian leader further explained, is only meant to salvage humanity.

More diseases to be treated

President Jammeh went further to inform the gathering that before any of his treatment is publicly announced, he makes sure that the treatment is carried out on a trial first, noting that a successful outcome leads to public announcement. To this end, he used the opportunity to once again announce before the world of herbal medicine, his ability to treat several new diseases.

He announced publicly that he can treat and cure patients with stroke, sickle cell, diabetes, and arthritis, saying he has been treating patients with these diseases and that such treatments have been successful.

He disclosed that he has an effective medicine for stroke, not only to prevent it but also to treat and cure it. He explained that it is possible to prevent a person from having stroke in a situation when he or she is likely to have it. He further assured anyone who already has a stroke and is paralysed: "We can get you back on your feet within seven days." The president added that this particular treatment has been proven seven times.

"We can effectively cure arthritis" the president revealed, noting that his treatment for this ailment has no age limit. "No matter how old you are we can treat your arthritis," he declared.

He stated that treatment for this ailment has nothing to do with age as in the case of conventional medicine, because they have been treating patients with this ailment. The president disclosed with delight that sickle cell, a deadly disease that also disturbs people, is no longer a myth that cannot be busted. He disclosed that so far they have successfully treated eight people diagnosed with sickle cell. The Gambian leader also revealed that they can treat all types of stomach problems be it ulcer or any other disorder.

8 new treatments in the offing

President Jammeh also informed the gathering that by the grace of the Almighty Allah, he will during the 4th anniversary of the breakthrough announce eight new treatments. He concluded by commending the patients who have undergone the treatment, and all those who in one way or the other supported the treatment programme.

For his part, the minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Abubakar Gaye spoke at length on the achievements registered by the PTP and went further to dilate on the religious perspectives of the herbal treatment. Also addressing the gathering, Dr Tamsir Mbowe, the director general of the PTP, said President Jammeh joined the fight against HIV/AIDS and other complicated diseases not to make a name for himself, or amass wealth at the detriment of the poor, but that he intervened to save humanity regardless of origin or denomination.

"Your Excellency, your confidence in your mission, your love for humanity, your absolute trust in God, your boldness in defying the furies of critics, your modesty in victory, all these and others attest not to an aimless search for clues, but to a firm conviction that you have the knowledge, the medical herbs and the power to achieve great results in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, asthma, diabetics, hypertension, infertility and other diseases," the PTP director general said as he extolled the virtues of the brainchild of the herbal breakthrough.

The president's achievement in medicine, according to Dr Mbowe has proven that mentally, indigenous intellect is not inferior to foreign intellect, adding that it has also proven that for every problem there is always a solution.

He continued: "Your Excellency, you are not only a visionary leader, a philanthropist, a servant of the people but a herbalist and a healer of the sick. Your name has already been written in medical history as the first medical practitioner to come up with medical herbs that have the potency to treat and cure HIV/AIDS and other diseases."

The PTP director general informed the celebrants that the absence of an effective treatment and curative regime for a particular disease in modern medicine does not mean that traditional medicine is confronted with the same predicament. Dr Tamsir Mbowe, a veteran medical practitioner concluded by reaffirming what he called the professional and moral support of the PTP team to President Jammeh in his genuine humanitarian efforts before seeking Almighty Allah's blessings on him.

Testimonies of PTP beneficiaries

The occasion also saw a number of beneficiaries of the Presidential Treatment Programme who have been successfully treated by the initiative, expressing their deepest gratitude to President Jammeh, as well as narrating the ordeals they faced before seeking The Gambian leader's herbal medicine.

Sirra Jarju, who was an asthma patient, told the gathering that before she underewent the presidential treatment, she could not do any of her domestic work due to her ailment, but noted with delight that this became history after she took the herbal medicine prepared by the president.

Sainabou Njie, an ex-hypertension patient said she had travelled to many countries in the sub-region seeking a cure for her ailment all to no avail until she took the presidential treatment that resulted in the restoration of her health.

Fatou Jaiteh, a former infertility patient also disclosed that her mother sacrificed a lot of things for her to conceive but to no avail, and that many people advised her husband to take a second wife because they thought she will never be able to conceive. She testified to the gathering that she got pregnant after taking the herbal medicine of the president. Other beneficiaries of the treatment programme who narrated their ordeals at the 3rd anniversary included Fatou Kaw, an ex HIV/AIDS patient and Lamin Bojang, the National Assembly member for Kombo East who was treated and cured of diabetics. Both beneficiaries joined their colleagues in expressing their unreserved gratitude to President Jammeh for coming to their aid, noting that they had gone through very difficult times before taking his medicine. The occasion was moderated by Ramou Cole Ceesay of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

Background

It could be recalled that the PTP, sanctioned by President Jammeh as part of his crusade of saving humanity from the scourge of complicated diseases started on 17 January 2007. Since the inception of the treatment programme, thousands of patients have undergone different treatments as can be testified by many. Most of these patients, some of them foreign nationals, have now gone back to their various societies and performing their respective social responsibilities.

The breakthrough as it is called has broken the backbone of diseases, ensuring the reconciliation of many divorced couples who were parted due to infertility on the part of the female. There is no doubt that the PTP has impacted positively on the Gambia's health sector given the fact that the resources that were used to manage certain diseases taken care of by the programme are now redirected to the management of other medical purposes.