By Tabora Bojang
Five months after the government cancelled their approval for the construction of a D7.2 million maternity ward in Chamen village, residents and members of the Diaspora Club have said no work has started at the facility.
In July 2024, the Ministry of Health gave approval to the Diaspora Club to build the facility at the Chamen Health Centre.
However, in a dramatic twist, the ministry revoked the approval in January explaining that the revocation is due to a secured grant from African Development Bank (AfDB) to build new structures and renovate the existing ones.
But the Diaspora Club blamed the cancellation of the approval on pressure from influential local politicians connected to government.
“No work has started here since five months ago when they cancelled the Diapora Club’s approval to build a maternity ward,” Momodou Cham, the Diaspora Club representative told The Standard.
When contacted for comments on why work has not started, the National Assembly Member of the area Amadou Camara declined to comment saying he is not in the country and that the project was under the purview of the Ministry of Works and the National Social Protection Secretariat who should be in a better position to explain.
The permanent secretary at the Ministry of Works Louis Mendy explained that his ministry is only providing engineering support.
Following several days of waiting for a response, Health Minister Dr Ahmadu Lamin Samateh responded to our request for clarification through Information Minister Dr Ismaila Ceesay with the following explanations: “With regards to the renovation of Chamen Health Centre and three other health facilities (Brikama, Foday Kunda and Yorobawol Health Centre), the process is still on.
The Ministry of Works and Infrastructure through the National Social Protection Agency has done the assignment and submitted the initial drawings to MoH to review. The MoH has done the review and submitted it back to the Ministry of Works with comments which they are now incorporating into the final drawings. There was a little delay in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report which has been finalised and submitted to the African Development Bank (AfDB).
According to him, the final drawings will soon be submitted to the AfDB for the board to review and approve by the end of June 2025. “Once approval is granted, the tendering process will commence,” Minister Samateh said.
