By Omar Bah
Eric De Coyer, a Belgian philanthropist, has recently donated uniforms and patient gowns to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH).
The gifts were handed over to the hospital’s new management by the Belgian couple, Eric De Coyer and Carine Tijoen.
Speaking shortly after presenting the items to the hospital, Eric De Coyer said for over fifteen years they have been extending their goodwill gestures to the Gambia.
He said though bringing the items to the Gambia cost them a lot of money, “we believe they will be more useful to the Gambian people. Because even if they are new they will throw them away in Europe so it is out of that we deem it necessary to bring them to Banjul.”
“We will to continue doing this whenever we can, depending on the availability of materials,” he said.
On whether they are thinking of supporting the hospital with medical items, he said: “Sometime we do bring medicine but it is not easy for us especially when it comes to getting papers. What we normally do is to come to the country and buy it here and then donate it to the hospitals.”
He thanked the people of Belgium who also contributed in supporting them in order to bring the donation to The Gambia, adding that without their support it would have been difficult to do it.
Meanwhile the chief medical director of EFSTH, Ahmad Lamin Samateh said the donated materials could not have come at a better time given the fact that the hospital was in serious shortage of gowns.
“This is a very happy moment for me and the entire hospital management because the hospital management was working very hard to make sure that all staff wear appropriate decent uniforms. Because it is very important for the professionalism of everybody in the hospital,” he stressed.
Dr Samateh noted that the gesture was important for the hospital, saying it touches his heart seeing friends of The Gambia coming to see what their needs are.
“We want to assure them that the materials will be put into good use and it will be given to the people who need it,” he stated.
