Citizens’ Alliance leader
By Buba Gagigo
The Citizens’ Alliance has said that the death of 66 Gambian children ‘is a tragic and an irreparable loss” to the nation, but commended the government for probing into the circumstances leading to the deaths.
“…While we commend the government for probing into the circumstances leading to the death of the deceased children, we strongly enjoined the state to hold all those found culpable fully accountable for their actions and inactions. We equally strongly advise the government to put in place mechanisms to track all those who took the drugs recently and save them from irreparable damage,” the party said in a statement on Saturday.
The Citizens’ Alliance (CA) said the 66 deaths linked to syrups in circulation ‘is an indication of gross institutional negligence’ by responsible authorities; and called on the government to ‘seriously’ undertake the necessary reform to regulate and standardize the award of medical and pharmaceutical licences.
“This is a tragic and an irreparable loss to the nation. This unfortunate incident is an indication of gross institutional negligence by authorities responsible for the regulation of the pharmaceutical society. Central to the problem, as a matter of fact too, is weak systems and corrupt practices.
“We implore on the government to seriously undertake the necessary reform of the entire health sector and ensure the award of medical and pharmaceutical licenses are stringently regulated and standardized in line with best practices and international standards. We also urge the government to enhance the capacity of healthcare workers to enable them to effectively and efficiently carry out their duties. Government should also build the human and technical capacity of the healthcare system to ensure the medical safety of all Gambians,” the CA statement said.
The party extended heartfelt condolences to the grieved families and prayed for the innocent souls to rest in perfect peace.
Meanwhile, President Barrow last night addressed the nation on the situation. But for many, his address fell short of expectations.