Gambiaj.com – (BRIKAMABA, THE GAMBIA) – The Brikamaba Major Health Centre in the Central River Region has opened a new theatre complex expected to reduce referrals of pregnant women requiring Caesarean sections to Bansang General Hospital and the Greater Banjul Area.
The facility was inaugurated on Thursday by President Adama Barrow as part of a D170 million World Bank-funded project to renovate existing structures and construct new facilities at the health centre.
Minister of Health Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh said the theatre would improve access to emergency maternal care by allowing women to receive Caesarean sections closer to their communities.
“For medical and surgical emergencies, timeliness is very important. Now they can have services at their doorstep,” Dr Samateh said.
He described the inauguration as a major development for the health sector, noting that Brikamaba had long served as an important healthcare facility for communities in the region.
Expanded Maternal And Clinical Services
The project includes upgraded antenatal and postnatal wards, improved clinical areas and new staff accommodation aimed at attracting and retaining health workers in rural communities.
Dr Samateh said the accommodation would also support the government’s postgraduate medical training programme, which includes rural postings for doctors specializing in surgery, obstetrics, internal medicine and other disciplines.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Brikamaba Major Health Centre, Ousman Gaye, said the expansion would significantly reduce the burden on Bansang General Hospital.
He said the centre now has a dedicated maternity unit with cubicles that provide women with greater privacy during labour, as well as a laboratory capable of conducting tuberculosis tests.
A new utility building is also equipped with a water treatment plant and solar power.
“Previously the water we drink was not treated, but now all water consumed in the facility is treated,” Gaye said.
Residents Welcome Development
Residents welcomed the expansion, highlighting the difficulties women previously faced when requiring emergency medical attention.
Village Development Committee representative Musa Fatty said the 35-kilometre distance between Brikamaba and Bansang had often placed women in labor at risk.
“Our women are protected, our families are protected,” he said, adding that ultrasound scanning and laboratory testing were now available within the community.
Alkalo Malang Ceesay described the new facilities as an unprecedented development for the village.
Barrow Highlights Healthcare Investment
Speaking at the inauguration, President Barrow said healthcare infrastructure remained a key pillar of his government’s National Development Plan.
“What is going on in The Gambia is a revolution. We are doing all the areas simultaneously,” he said, adding that the new facilities were intended to create a better environment for both patients and health workers.
The President also disclosed that a similar project, valued at D295 million, was underway in Bwiam.
Dr Samateh said the government had also invested in medical equipment and the training of health personnel, including nurses, midwives, laboratory scientists and pharmacists.
He disclosed that nine containers of drugs and medical supplies had arrived in the country during the preceding week, with more expected.
The minister thanked the World Bank for its support and acknowledged Gambian businessman Hamidu Jah, who had begun constructing one of the structures several years ago.
The project forms part of the government’s efforts to decentralize healthcare services and improve access to specialized medical treatment outside the Greater Banjul Area.
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