The children's ward and laboratory at the Ahmed Health Centre, Latrikunda Big Tree, was on Good Friday inaugurated and named the Order of Saint John (OSJ) in the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Tim Allen, a senor official of the organisation, who is on a visit to The Gambia.
The inauguration was done on behalf of the organisation by Mr. Bakary Jammeh, a representative of CMI Trading (UK) Limited, whose company was a 'go-between' for the donation of a container full of hospital beds to the centre.
Some of the beds would soon be handed over to the Ministry of Health for re-distribution to other health centres.
The ceremony was chaired by Mr. Sulayman Joof, the NAM for Serrekunda West, who initiated the project. He gave a brief history of how the premises once used as teachers quarter, was transformed into a Community Health Centre, after consulation with the Ministry of Education.
The project which started eight years ago, is now partially operational, and medication is free of charge.
"Only consultation fee of D5 for children and D10 for adults is charged at the centre," Hon. Joof said, adding that apart from the 15,000 inhabitants of the area, the facility is providing service to about 30 - 40,000 people, including those from the surrounding towns.
Following a conducted tour of the facility, Mr. Joof on behalf of the management committee made an appeal for the construction of a modern mortuary, to save costs of transporting dead bodies to Banjul.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen then held a brief meeting with the youths of Dippa Kunda No.1, to identify a project for the community to be sponsored by the Order of Saint John, OSJ.
Mr. Allen will use his visit to tour projects in the North Bank Region to see what assistance could be rendered to them, especially the Jargari School Project, sponsored by Morgan Foundation in the UK.
