First Lady Gives D80,000 to First Babies of 2009

Operation Save the Baby, under the patronage of Her Excellency Zenab Yahya Jammeh, presented D80,000 to the first three babies of the year at RVTH. Operation Save the Baby was initiated nine years ago by the first lady to save the lives of newborn babies and "the baby you save may be your own" is its slogan. Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the first lady said she was delighted to present the donation and assured those gathered of her continuing support for the health sector.

She thanked the nurses for their commitment and dedication and gave them D30,000 for saving the first three babies of the year.

For her part,  the Honourable Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay,Speaker of the National Assembly who is also a member of Save the Baby, revealed that the presentation shows how much the first lady and her husband care about the health service in The Gambia.

The speaker urged the nurses and medical personnel to save more babies in the future. She informed those gathered that it is a tradition for the first lady to give to the first babies of the year and urged the parents of the children to open bank accounts for their children.

Speaking earlier, the secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare, Mariatou Jallow, spoke about the importance of health in national development saying the health service is backbone of any economy. She then thanked President Jammeh for his commitment to health development.

Gamtel/Gamcel, SSHHFC and The Gambia Ports Authority also presented D22,000 to the first babies of the year.