The presentation ceremony which was attended by eminent personalities of the community, took place at the health centre’s grounds last week.
The head of the Spanish delegation to The Gambia, Mr Jose Luis Flores, said this was the eighth time in six years that Friends of The Gambia had extended succour to Gambian communities, particularly in the healthcare and educational sectors.
“This [donation] is because of the love we have for the country and people of Sanyang in particular. This is why we came here to assist them,” he said.
We don’t only assist Sanyang Health Centre but also the Sulayman Junkung Jammeh General Hospital in Bwiam and Kabacorr Nursery School in Foni as well as St Vincent School among others. We brought three containers containing medical items, motor cycles and learning materials.”
For his part, Mr Joe Jatta, of Friends of The Gambia, said the donation bore testimony to the relationship that the organisation has built with the people of Sanyang.
He added: “Today we are pleased to give them [people of Sanyang] this new ambulance. Good health is one of the pillars of human security. We will continue to support the community of Sanyang as a whole.”
He commended the people of Sanyang for the hospitality accorded them and urged them to properly maintain the ambulance.
Jeandare Jarju Kujabi, the assistant regional principal nursing officer, who spoke on behalf of the regional director of health services in Region Two, Brikama, commented: “We are aware that this genuine and generous gift to The Gambian by this association is very timely. They are aware of the fact that government cannot do it all alone. The community of Sanyang is increasingly a densely populated community and it is without doubt that the demand on health-care services is dramatically increasing. Therefore complementing the efforts of the government is very much fitting. We know development is a collective responsibility and that is what your exemplary organisation manifests through one of the country’s successful village development committees, Sanyang Village Development Committee.”
Omar Manjang, who stood in for the minister of Health and Social Welfare said: “The provision of a magnificent ambulance like this one by Friends of The Gambia is not only important but critical in the provision of efficient and quality healthcare services to citizens and resident of The Gambia and Sanyang in particular. We all know health-care is very expensive and government alone cannot do it all alone. So government needs contribution from philanthropists like Spanish NGOs to make health-care more accessible and affordable to all and this ambulance will no doubt play a very significant role towards the realisation of that vision and mission.”
Other speakers included the Alkalo of Sanyang; Abdou Colley, National Assembly member for Kombo South; and Alieu Jassey who represented the VDC chairman Sheriff Bojang. They all expressed their delight to the donors.
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