By Aminata Kuyateh
The first phase of Gambia’s most ambitious healthcare infrastructure project—the 1,500-bed national teaching hospital located at Farato, WCR—is nearing completion, with the national emergency treatment centre standing as a beacon of progress and medical excellence.
During a recent site tour, the minister of health, senior health officials and international partners praised the quality and scale of construction. The national emergency treatment centre, the flagship of this first phase, will house 104 beds, including 20 fully equipped intensive care units (ICUs)—a significant upgrade from the country’s current total of just 8 ICU beds.
“This is phenomenal,” Health Minister Amadou Lamin Samateh said.
“We’re not just talking about beds but high-tech intensive care units with modern equipment capable of treating the most critical cases.”
The new facility also features a national blood transmission centre, a public health laboratory, training and conference centre for the ministry of health, a national imaging and diagnostic centre with CT, MRI, mammography, and fluoroscopy capabilities.
Minister Samateh highlighted that these additions will greatly enhance accurate diagnosis and timely treatment, core pillars of effective healthcare delivery.
According the minister, these projects are backed by President Adama Barrow’s administration and supported by global partners including the World Bank, Global Fund and WHO. He said the project is central to the government’s push for universal health coverage.
”This facility is not just a building; it’s the foundation for a modern, resilient health system,” Dr Nathan Bakiyata noted. “From intensive care to advanced diagnostics, it’s designed to meet national needs head-on.”
According to the officials, future plans for the hospital include a multi-purpose operating theatre funded by the German Government, with capacity for open-heart surgeries and kidney transplants—services previously unavailable in Gambia.
“We are building not just for today, but for generations to come,” said Dr Samateh. “This is how we build the new Gambia—structure by structure, with world-class standards.”
With the first phase nearly completed, the momentum toward finishing the full 1,500-bed complex continues—signalling a new era in Gambian healthcare.
