By Tabora Bojang
Health Minister Dr Ahmadou Samateh has threatened to sue defaulting contractors and consultants for failing to meet their contractual obligations for the renovation of a number of health facilities and institutions across the country.
Last year, the World Bank approved funding for The Gambia to support the construction and rehabilitation of health care facilities in the country.
But Dr Samateh told lawmakers Wednesday that several contractors and consultants who were awarded the contracts have failed to complete the works as agreed in the contracts signed between them and the government.
Expressing his displeasure at the slow pace of work at the Kudang Health Centre where Niamina Dankunku lawmaker Samba Jallow lamented dire conditions of nurses and lack of a healthier environment, Minister Samateh said: “The situation at Kudang Health Centre is very disappointing. All these frustrations are caused by the contractors and the consultants as the supervisors of the project. This is a World Bank-funded project and funds are available but the contractors are not meeting their deliverables.”
He said renovation works at Kiang Karantaba Health Centre, Kaur Health Centre, Bansang Hospital, School for Enrolled Nurses, regional health directorates in Bansang, Lower River Region and North Bank are all facing the same problems. “Having known this problem I have given the directive to the permanent secretary to engage the Ministry of Justice to pursue possible legal action against the contractors and the consultants,” Minister Samateh said.
