According to Health Minister Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, there are instances when patients are admitted to the Ndeban clinic’s emergency section on the floor because of a “capacity issue.”

During the National Assembly’s Wednesday question-and-answer period, Dr. Samateh was answering questions from legislators.

What steps can the Ministry of Health take to address the issue of patients being admitted to the floor? That was the question posed by Sannementereng Member Fatou Cham.

“Hon Speaker, it is a capacity issue and nobody’s wish to see that,” Dr. Samateh said. That is definitely not what we want to happen. Our goal is to make sure patients are relocated right away and that beds are available at the EFSTH. Occasionally, we also utilize the Sanatorium to make sure patients are moved fast so they don’t have to lay on the floor, particularly in the event of an accident.
“Of course, there are sometimes major accidents with casualty situations; even big hospitals in other countries suffer and have similar situations once in a while, but it is not supposed to be continuous, and we hope with all these expansions that that will be a thing of the past,” he went on.
The minister claims that the high accident rate in the Gambia has placed a significant strain on the country’s health care system.