By Olimatou Coker
The Gambia Red Cross Society is launching the country’s first pre-hospital care system and pre-hospital ambulance service, President Fabakary Kalleh announced during a press briefing for World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day.
“For the first time in The Gambia, we will pick you up from your home or an accident scene at any time of the night and take you to the nearest hospital with professional care and compassion,” Kalleh said. “This is not just patient transfer between hospitals. This is emergency response from the point of need.”
The service will be deployed across the West Coast Region, Kanifing Municipality, and Banjul to strengthen emergency response to road traffic accidents and other critical cases.
GRCS already operates ambulances offering emergency support for a minimal annual fee of D3,800 per family of five. The expansion will add three ambulances in WCR, two in KMC, and one in Banjul. The Society is also working with partners to introduce a sea ambulance for Barra and extend coverage to other areas.
Kalleh said the initiative addresses a deadly gap in emergency care.
“Many people lose their lives because of how they are transported and handled before reaching the hospital,” he said. “We are changing that.”
He also highlighted GRCS’s ongoing humanitarian work: drilling boreholes in Central River Region, supporting refugees and host communities, and assisting the health system in the fight against malaria. The CRR water project was funded by the Spanish Red Cross.
“We go where it is hard to reach,” Kalleh said. “We are auxiliary to the Government of The Gambia, not competitors. Our role is to fill the gaps and reach the most remote and vulnerable communities.”
GRCS continues to expand its reach with support from movement partners, including the Spanish Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the ICRC.
Kalleh thanked the Government of The Gambia for its collaboration and called on volunteers to remain united in service.
“To our partners and donors, thank you for enabling us to save lives where it matters most,” he said.
