By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Gambian Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, and Chinese Ambassador Liu Jin met in Banjul on Tuesday to officially sign the handover certificate for a donation of medical equipment and medicines from the government of the People’s Republic of China.
Following the terms outlined in the Protocol between the Governments of The Gambia and China, signed on August 2, 2023, China has pledged to provide essential medical supplies to The Gambia. This assistance is earmarked for the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in collaboration with the Chinese Medical Team and marks a continuation of the enduring partnership between the two nations.
The consignment of medical supplies, successfully transported to The Gambia in December 2023, has undergone meticulous verification by both Gambian and Chinese authorities to ensure adherence to quantity and specification standards.
During the formal signing ceremony, Dr. Samateh extended sincere appreciation to China for its generous support. He emphasized the deep-rooted friendship between the two nations and the shared commitment to mutual progress and cooperation.
Dr. Samateh articulated, “We are delighted once again to have a singing ceremony with your excellence on behalf of our two friendly governments. The relationship with the People’s Republic of China and the government of the Gambia has been a longstanding one, but it has been a relationship of mutual benefits based on mutual respect, cooperation, and for humanity,” he said.
Speaking to the broader aspirations of both nations, Dr. Samateh highlighted the shared values of hard work, dedication, and a love for the country. He expressed optimism that by following a similar path of development, The Gambia could aspire to achieve levels of progress akin to China’s.
“Now the Gambia is also aspiring to reach to the level of development of China and within a useful recipe, a recipe of handwork, dedication, commitment, and love for the country. And we believe when we follow that in the country we will get cities that are like the cities In China,” he said.
Highlighting the common aspirations and values shared by both countries, Dr. Samateh emphasized The Gambia’s ambition to emulate China’s developmental achievements through dedication, hard work, and love for the nation.
Acknowledging China’s support aligns with President Barrow’s vision for the healthcare sector, Dr. Samateh underscored the government’s initiatives to enhance healthcare infrastructure and services, welcoming support from partners.
“The president aspires to make health services reachable to the people of this country, and we said we cannot do that with the current infrastructure we have. So he said we need to expand our health infrastructure, we need to upgrade the current ones, we need to renovate them, we need to modernize them, and we need to build more health centers. And this we have started. We don’t have all the resources, but the government has taken leadership to start so that partners can support,”
Expressing confidence in the enduring friendship between The Gambia and China, Dr. Samateh assured effective utilization of the donated items to improve healthcare delivery for the Gambian populace.
“This equipment that you have donated will go a long way in the provision of health services for the people of the Gambia,” he said.
Ambassador Liu Jin echoed Dr. Samateh’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of health cooperation within the comprehensive bilateral relationship between China and The Gambia.
“China and Gambia are good friends and reliable partners, exchanging cooperation in the field of health is one of the priorities of our comprehensive relations,” he said.
He highlighted the deployment of a Chinese medical team to The Gambia as a testament to their commitment to health cooperation.
“The team consists of ten professionals. They work here very hard with a good reputation, this is in the traditional significance of our bilateral cooperation in the field of health,” he added.
The donated medical shipment includes a range of essential items such as disinfectants, gloves, surgical garments, and related equipment, all of which will significantly contribute to bolstering healthcare services for the people of The Gambia.
The signing ceremony symbolizes not only a formal exchange of documents but also the enduring spirit of solidarity and collaboration between China and The Gambia in advancing healthcare and mutual prosperity.