Dr. Adama Sallah, a distinguished Gambian healthcare practitioner, paediatrician, and director of Lamtoro Medical Services, is the chairman of the board of directors at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH). In an interview with Freedom Radio, Dr. Adama Sallah asserts that the institution, which operates at EFSTH under the Ministry of Health, is fundamentally tainted with financial mismanagement and corruption.

Prior to purchasing any equipment, it is standard procedure for all EFSTH employees to be obligated to notify the board and obtain its approval. But senior EFSTH personnel do not respect these rules. This medium inquired whether he could provide insight into any allegations of financial mismanagement and corruption that have been levelled against senior medical practitioners at EFSTH. Dr. Adama Sallah responded that typically, the government provides a per diem rate for EFSTH staff travelling both within and outside the country. However, Dr. Abubacarr Jagne does not think that this general rule applies to him as the Deputy Chief Medical Director. Dr. Abubacarr Jagne once travelled to Farafenni with other foreign consultants for three nights, but the amount of per diem he claimed was significantly exorbitant.

The EFSTH accountant was very concerned regarding Dr. Jagne’s frequent travels and numerous per diems and why some per diems have to be paid in his name, but Dr. Jagne insisted that his per diem, as well as the per diems of the other three consultants, be deposited into his own bank account, when questioned about this. Dr. Adama Sallah stated that it is against the rules for an individual to receive per diem in the name of another, as per standard government policy. The country’s government per diem is D1500 per night; three nights were estimated to cost D4500. Furthermore, since the three foreign consultants were not government employees, per diem payments were not owed to them, said Dr. Adama Sallah.

But regarding those foreign travels he made, meaning Mr. Abubacarr Jagne, I have the list here with me to support my claims, continued Dr. Adama Sallah. From September 12th, 2022, to September 29th, 2023, Mr. Abubacarr Jagne has received per diem payments of D779, 839.80, and this was just within a period of one year. These per diems were too high, and such overseas travels were not authorised by the board. If you compare these multiple travels with those of other Chief Medical Directors (CMD), maybe such travels could only be made once or twice a year. But as for Mr. Abubacarr Jagne, he was just going here and there without any prior approval from the board. Such amounts of per diem are far too high to be paid to a Deputy Chief of Medical Director, said Dr. Adama Sallah.