Gov’t received US$350,000 worth of medical equipment from US-based charity

Raise Global Services (RGS), a non-profit organisation based in the United States of America, on Thursday handed over a 40ft container of medical equipment, worth US$350,000, to The Gambia government.

The container was presented to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare at a presentation ceremony held at the Central Medical Stores in Kotu.

The support was initiated by the chief executive officer of RGS, Carol Mcknown, and Tom Van Zeeland, president of RGS who doubles as its chief technology officer.

It was facilitated by Ussainou Lowe, a Gambian resident in the United States for the past 23 years who serves as the national facilitator of RGS.

Speaking to reporters at the presentation, Mr Lowe said he helped in facilitating the donation of the 40ft container of medical equipment as part of his contributions towards the development of The Gambia.

He said he was always eager to support any initiative or effort geared towards national development just like his father, the late Badou Lowe, who opened Radio Gambia in the 1960s, had been doing.

Mr Lowe said even though he lives in America, his primary aim has always been to give back to his home country and he does that by bringing philanthropists and organisations that could help in further developing the Gambia’s economy, especially the health sector.

He said after meeting with the CEO of RGS in the United States, Mrs McKnown, he was able to bring her on holiday to The Gambia so she could see for herself the need to support the country.

It was after their returned that Mrs McKnown started to load the 40ft container of medical items which is worth of US$350,000 to boost the health sector of The Gambia.

Mr Lowe said RGS would give more support to The Gambia, adding that the only thing holding the starting of the organisation’s other projects is a memorandum of understanding that is to be signed with the government, through the minister of finance and the governor of Central Bank of The Gambia.

“As soon as the MoU is signed, the organisation will start floating money to The Gambia and the project will start in earnest,” Lowe said.

In a phone conversation, Mrs Mcknown renewed her commitment to “invest heavily” in The Gambia, saying RGS is ready to work with the new Gambia government.

RGS CEO said her organisation is ready to bring new technology to create things like electricity, water and agricultural implements and other basic needs.

Mrs Msknown said the main goal of RGS engagement in The Gambia is to make sure that the next generation of Gambians has the basic needs like health, water and shelter.

The director of Health Promotion and Education Directorate, Modou Njai, and Omar Tunkara   of National Pharmaceutical Services, expressed total appreciation over the donation of 40ft container.