The Fatoumatta-Bah Barrow Foundation (FAAB) yesterday received medical consignments worth D32 million from Human Appeal - a global humanitarian and development organisation based in Ireland.
The broad range of medical items include: two Bausch and Lomb cataract surgery machines, drager anaesthesia machine, 38 hospital beds and mattresses, CT scan machines, 500 boxes of tendertip graduated open suction catheter with clear vacuum control, Melgaard nebuliser kit with mask, 12 defibrators, over 14,000 soft toys for children, 40 colostomy bags for cancer patients, 20 boxes of medical journals and books.
Speaking at the presentation held at State House, Ndure said his organisation prides itself with saving lives and alleviating poverty through its responses in emergencies and interventions in developing countries to support and enhance health delivery and improve child welfare.
"The organisation works across Asia, Africa and the Middle East supporting communities and refugees who lost all hopes," he said. "We channel our resources to ease the suffering in people's lives. We take pride and joy in the work of helping others as this is enshrined in our faith, culture and values.
Ndure added that the organisation has been supporting The Gambia with medical items since 2016.
"A huge number of resources have been used in this project. A special team was set up in Ireland to deal with the logistics from collecting the medical donations, transporting, warehousing and then shipping. We have all witnessed the desperate and distressed state of the health sector in The Gambia and the need to remedy the condition," he said.
He added that good health is insurance for a better life.
"Health is security. High GDP is not only the measure of growth but how healthy the population and sickness does not discriminate based on tribe, gender or religion. People don't choose to be sick. Everyone needs access to good health but everyone needs access to good health care. This equipment donated here will undoubtedly help in diagnosing illnesses and ultimately give a holistic care approach.
"We appeal to the foundation to help in delivering these supplies to hospitals and health centres that need them most across the country, and we have every confidence in Her Excellency."
Ndure added: "Not everyone can travel overseas for medical treatment. Often, we see cases of Gambians who are seeking assistance to go abroad because they have existing and debilitating medical conditions that are life threatening. Some make it but others languish in pain and agony until they meet their fate with death," he said.
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Mr Ndure expressed gratitude to GRA Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe for facilitating all the logistics needed to get the equipment cleared at the ports. "He paid from his resources to make sure that the Gambian people benefit from this good cause," he said.
The deputy chairperson of the FAAD Foundation, Musa Sise, said the foundation appreciates the donation that will go along in impacting the health sector in The Gambia.
"We all know that every aspect of our health sector is a priority and as a foundation, it is among the pillars the First Lady is driving to make sure that she can bring in change and impact that can effect change in people's life. That is why the collaboration with Human Appeal is very timely because it is an area where they also function effectively in Europe and other continents," he said.
Sise said the medical equipment would be distributed on a need basis.
She thanked the First Lady for her leadership quality and Mr Ndure for the benevolence.
