By Abdoulie Bojang
It is unjust and unfair for any person or institution(s) to focus on witch-hunts in times of serious health care delivery crisis rather than focusing on the root causes of the crisis in order to get this crisis fixed up and trashed for posterity.
Commissions, Independent Review Organization and all other review and investigative channels are supposed to be energized, supported without influence and preconception by and/or for anybody or institutions. Their fundamental purpose is to get to establish root causes to a crisis, recommend and roadmap a way forward to strengthening and averting possible chances of a reoccurrence of the same or even similar problems in the future- this includes allowing the law to take its due ride on the culprits. Kangarooing, scapegoating and sacrificial lamb techniques to these investigations ; investigations meant to right the generational wrongs of our health care delivery systems in the best interest of a sustainable Gambia must not be allowed to dilly-dally whatsoever by some hands with the vested interest of scapegoating and doing all it takes to catch a single and/or wrong or even a non-existent culprit for broken health care delivery system of our country.
Needless to say, that we are all watching and very closely monitoring what these investigations would proffer to get the souls of these angels rest well, victims and families get justice and finally fix up a generationally broken health care delivery system of our country.
While I strongly and willfully intend not to influence ongoing investigations whatsoever; it is pertinent to ask some of the following questions:
After the medicines and related products Act 2014 has created both regulatory and professional bodies to regulate issues of personnel, quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and related products; were these institutions given the much needed resources like the food and medicines quality control labs to help in their mandate delivery of safeguarding public health?
Who or what has the authority to provide such facilities and environment by which the medicines and related products Act 2014 created institutions could leverage on to deliver their mandates to the public, efficiently and effectively?
Did they do that and where is the evidence? Have these institutions raised concerns to their line ministry and when and what came out of it?
Were there in our hospitals any medical facilities,trained personnel, and consumables to be of help to these angels in such a health care need. Who handled them; are they trained and qualified for such?
Was there any waste of time and/or delays as to getting these angels the much needful external help or referrals. If there were, who or what was responsible?
Don’t we really think the delay in determining scientifically the samples to ascertain the cause of death of these kids due to lack of labs in the country has also contributed to the death of these kids. The authority responsible for provision of such should be liable and blamed for the death of the kids to a great extent?
Must we not really blame a broken national health care delivery system as main culprit to these health carnage instead of scapegoating and witch-hunting?
What is happening to our accident victims who are in some cases dying due to long and delayed referrals because of lack of orthopeadic capable national health centers. Who is responsible for provision of such to our country?
Is our health care delivery system fit for emerging public health issues, needs and purposes. If our health care delivery system is unfit; whose mandate is it to ensure it does serve the much needed health care and public health gap ?
Why is our health care delivery system scary to high profile GAMBIANS, ministers, policy makers etc. Who in fact must pride in what they have created and achieved for us in the health care delivery system. Why must they go overseas and private on their personal health check ups and treatment instead of using the best health care delivery system EFSTH, BASANG, FARAFENNI, BWIAM GENERAL HOSPITAL ETC. They help create, maintain or improved?
Let’s all seek answers to these as well. Answer these and we all will get fixed up quickly and for good!
