Women call for better health care in New Gambia

Women in rural Gambia have appealed to the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) team that was set up to draft and guide the process of promulgating a new Constitution for The Gambia to consider putting in place measures to ensure a better health care service for them.

Locals made this call during the first leg of their two-week civic education public awareness campaign organised by the National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) in partnership with the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC). The outreach is meant to prepare and set the ground ahead of nationwide public consultations proper.

For Kumba Kusa, a native of Kumbija village in Tumana District, Upper River Region, there’s a need for more trained Gambian doctors and nurses to be able to effectively respond to the healthcare of Gambians.

She observed that in most cases, when pregnant women go to health facilities they are not given due attention and care they deserve.

Kusa further explained that health workers would only ask them about their problems and would not bother to check on them.

At times they will tell some that their delivery period is not due, yet mostly women deliver on their way home”, she stated.

This kind of situation, she added, has left many women in difficult circumstances and in some cases leading to complications. She thus urged the Government to put in place strict measures against health workers found wanting of such behavior.

Momodou Fatty, a native of Kaif in Kiang, urged the team to capture in the draft constitution that, neither a president nor the first family should establish a foundation or movement.

‘This sometimes causes conflict of interest’. Fatty added that prisoners that meet the voting-age requirement should have a voting right during elections.

Buwa Kinteh, Alkalo of Pakalinding said presidential running mate system should not be introduced because once the vice president realize that he/she cannot be dismissed by the president before the end of their term, he/she may be undermining the president.

Saidou Bah, a native of Pakalinding called for the free basic education to be extended to public senior secondary schools across the country.