A team of paediatric surgeons and anaesthetists from Humanity First UK supported Gambian colleagues to perform complex surgeries on children in dire need in The Gambia.
The team also provided training and skills transfer to a number of doctors and nurses at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul.
Dr Hammad Khan, a consultant at the New Born Intensive Care and Medical Director of Humanity First UK who headed the team said the purpose of visit was to perform complex surgeries and teach Gambian colleagues on other surgical techniques and by extension provide direct care to children in dire need of medical attention. He said his team comprises specialist nurses and doctors from New Born Intensive Care who provided support directly to children at the hospital.
Dr Hammad revealed that Humanity First has been coming to The Gambia to offer help in medical services for the past ten years.
"Our main focus is Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital ( EFSTH) where we supported different departments but our main concentration is supporting children services. We provide direct teaching to doctors and nurses by way of capacity building and also supplied equipment for the use of those devices. Our training is not only limited to EFSTH. Last week, we trained some nurses at the Bwiam Hospital in provincial Gambia," he also said.
Humanity First, Dr Hammad continued is an international organisation which was founded by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. It came into being as a result of the conflicts in the Balkans and the former Yugoslavia in which both Muslims and Christians were innocent victims of the war and needed help. After that, many disasters had happened around the world and Humanity First always intervened to assist humanity wherever it is necessary as the name implies. "We have intervened in Sub Saharan Africa, the Middle East and in Asia and the Pacific. Gambia too is no exception. We support school for adult education and computer literacy, families and also provided water for life project, among others. Humanity First Gambia and Humanity First UK are working hand in glove to ensure that all these projects are implemented successfully," he explained.
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Dr Hammad thanked the government of The Gambia particularly the Ministry of Health for their collaboration in ensuring that their MoU is honoured and fulfilled. He advised Gambians to take full ownership of projects they have initiated to ensure their sustainability.
Yankuba Sinayoko, Humanity First Gambia Director of Operations accompanied the team to Banjul and Bwiam Hospitals.
