Karamba
Keita, deputy permanent secretary (Technical) at the Ministry of Health has
underscored that a healthy workforce is vital for sustainable and economic
development at both the national and global levels.
DPS
Keita was speaking at the start of a three-day review and validation on the
draft national occupational health and safety policy for healthcare workers in
The Gambia.
The
forum, which was held at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, was
supported by the University of Maryland.
He
pointed out that the objective of the draft national occupational health and
safety policy is not only to eliminate or reduce hazards and the incidence of
work-related injuries, fatalities and diseases, but also to promote positive
development of factors in working environment, which will undoubtedly enhance
the social, mental and physical well being of workers and society as a whole.
The
emergence of highly infectious diseases such as COVID-19, he said, has the
tendency to increase the infections risk among health workers.
Making
reference to the World Health Organization, DPS Keita noted that health care
workers are known to be at higher risk of infections from blood borne
pathogens, air borne hazards, exposure to health care waste than the general
population.
In
2015, he said, WHO estimates that 257 million people were living with chronic
hepatitis B infection.
‘Similarly,
in 2018 there were an estimated 10 million new incidents of TB cases worldwide
and 15 million people died from the disease. Poor health care waste management
also exposes healthcare workers and community to infections and toxic effects
that could result in diseases or injury’.
Horoja
Saine, chief matron at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, while
describing the review process as long overdue, maintained that it would greatly
help healthcare workers to adequately and effectively address the occupational
and safety challenges at their various facilities.
Professor
Melissa MacDiarmid of the University of Maryland in the United States, thanked
the Ministry of Health and Professor Ousman Nyang of the University of The
Gambia for allowing them to support the country’s health Ministry to come up
with such a national occupational health and safety policy.
She recalled that during their meeting with the
stakeholders in 2016 and 2018, the Gambia identified three priority areas that
need support to develop such a policy. This, she said, is the reason why they
returned to support the validation of the policy.
