By Omar Bah
The Government of Japan has signed a 76, 995 euros (D4,515,227.04) health support project with Batch Diagnostic Laboratory Gynae services, a local clinic based in Abuko.
The project, which is under the framework of the Japanese grant assistance for grass-roots human security projects, aims to purchase medical equipment such as intensive care unit, patient bed, blood warmer and ventilators, defibrillator, patient monitor standard parameter, central monitoring station and syringe and infusion pumps.
Speaking shortly after signing the agreement, the deputy chief of mission of the Japanese Embassy in Banjul, Nakajima Daisuke, said the equipment will help the clinic improve its quality of service with a wider scope services and thus impact more Gambians, especially the vulnerable population will benefit from discount prices.
The diplomat said the government of Japan in the framework of the bilateral cooperation places great importance on strengthening the health system of developing countries.
“Being aware of the difficulties faced by the Gambia population to have access to affordable diagnostic, medical and laboratory services, and showing great concern about improving their living conditions and promoting the human security, the government of Japan decided to finance this project in order to reinforce the capacity of Batch Diagnostic Laboratory Gynae and Clinical services,” he said.
He said Japan considers health an important element of human security.
“The government of Japan in collaboration with the international community supports developing countries to achieve universal community health coverage,” he said.
He said the lack of appropriate diagnostic and laboratory services makes the Gambian population travel to neighboring countries like Senegal for adequate healthcare that is not available in the country. “Considering the fact that the majority of the population do not have good living conditions, it is obvious that going abroad for healthcare is not possible for everyone,” he said.
