Riders
for Health (RFH) yesterday boosted the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in
Banjul with nine new vehicles, geared toward strengthening the healthcare
delivery services, particularly in the area of child and maternal health.
The
handing over ceremony was done at the RFH headquarters in Kanifing North,
attended by the DPS women’s affairs, the ministers of Health and of Basic and
Secondary Education, and other top government officials.
Speaking
at the handing over ceremony, deputy permanent secretary Bintou Gassama,
representing the minister of Women’s Affairs overseeing the Vice President’s
office, said health and the well-being of Gambians are among the top priorities
of President Adama Barrow’s new development agenda.
The
government intends to invest in programmes that support healthcare services, to
be regularly delivered to all communities in The Gambia in line with the
principles of Primary Health Care (PHC).
The
availability of reliable means of transport is an important component of any
health system, for extending health services coverage to local communities, she
added.
“I
am informed that since the outsourcing of transport management to Riders for
Health in January 2002, they have been offering reliable services to the
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare,” she continued.
Under
the Transport Assets Management (TAM) agreement, ambulances, trekking and
supervision of vehicles and motorcycles deployed since 2009, now deemed to be
uneconomical to manage, are being replaced as part of the agreement.
In July 2016, a total of 17 ambulances and 66
motorcycles were replaced, she said.
Ensuring
a dependable transport fleet will contribute significantly to meeting the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, which is about ensuring
healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.
“As
directors, I am with the conviction that putting such vital assets at your
disposal will ease your work tremendously. I, therefore, call upon the
directors who are going to receive these vehicles to judiciously utilize these
scare resources in the execution of your functions. It is my ardent hope that
you will cooperate with Riders for Health for the timely servicing and
maintenance of the vehicles,” she added.
Delivering
her statement, Saffie Lowe-Ceesay, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, said
under the partnership between her ministry and Riders for Health, it is a
requirement for RFH to replace vehicles once they outlived their useful lives.
She
said in line with this agreement, nine new vehicles have been procured to
replace the existing vehicles used by senior members of his ministry.
She
added that the handing over of the transport came at a time when the ministry
is grappling with serious transport constraints at the central level.
Therese
Drammeh, Riders for Health Country Director, speaking on the occasion, said
they are giving vehicles to the directors of the Health ministry because they
need trekking and have supervisory functions, and they need proper transport to
do their work.
“We
have been giving those priority simply because if they talk about healthy Gambians,
they are talking about proper delivery and people directing the work, and that
is where the issue of motor bicycles and ambulances come in, and we gave
priority to that.”
She
added that in 2009, they brought about 35 ambulances, 27 vehicles for trekking
and supervising and about 90 motorcycles.
In
2014, they again brought 9 ambulances, 27 trekking supervisory vehicles and 60
motorcycles; and in July 2015 they started replacing the transportation fleet,
and replaced 17 ambulances and 66 motorcycles.
They
are replacing 9 vehicles and they would have replaced 35 motorcycles, but
because of the political impasse that delayed everything, she said.
As
far as they are concerned, there is sufficient transport for health to do their
work, and that they have sufficient transport in the pipeline that are coming,
she continued.
Others
speakers were Alhajie Nyangado, chairman board of directors RFH, who advised
the users of the vehicles to use them for the purpose they are meant for,
rather than using them for personal use, which according to him is a privilege.
