“No nation in the world, being a developing or developed country, will achieve its developmental aspiration in the absence of a vibrant health sector,” the GACH boss said during a presentation at the country’s main referral hospital - Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) - in Banjul.
“Again, no government can do it alone when it comes to achieving quality health service delivery,” he added, saying: “Therefore, given the fact that the nation’s achieving quality health services across the country remains a top priority for me and our foundation, we think it’s of paramount importance to support the organising committee of this year’s event with the objective of ensuring that they have a successful conference.”
The conference is a leading scientific event geared towards showcasing surgical procedures and exchanging of up-to-date knowledge in all surgical disciplines ranging from paediatric surgery to neurosurgery, ortho and trauma intervention, obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgery, urology, and plastic surgery.
Mr Jawara reiterated his support for developmental initiatives such as in the health sector: “We are delighted to be associated with and also support this initiative. GACH Global is known for its philanthropic gesture; thus we will continue to strive towards that goal.”
He elaborated: “The health sector is very important in any country; thus we will continue to support any initiative that is geared towards improving the health sector. This event is important to every Gambian because we need healthy people in order for our country to be developed.”
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of EFSTH, Ammar Al Jafari, thanked GACH Global for supporting the initiative, saying the importance of the conference could not be over-emphasised.
“This has been my dream for The Gambia since I started serving as CMD because I know how it has boosted the health sector of countries that have hosted it,” Dr Al Jafari said. “Therefore, we are delighted at the support, and be rest assured that we will continue to work towards improving the country’s health sector.”
He posited: “Our plan is to conduct over 100 surgeries during this conference with well trained and qualified surgeons to reduce the number in the waiting list to save lives. Therefore, I want every Gambian to support this cause, taking into account that it will save lives and improve the country's health sector. In fact, this initiative can help minimise patients travelling overseas for surgery, which can also contribute to the country’s economic sustainability.”
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Dr Abubacarr Jah, spoke on the significance of the event, saying: “The medical field requires a continuous learning process. Gambian doctors should also be exposed to events like this and exchange experiences with other doctors from across the world.
“Therefore, the Banjul International Surgical Scientific Conference annually will serve the purpose because the more the doctors learn, the more updated they get and the better they provide good healthcare services.
“We have qualified doctors in the country that can boost the country’s health system if they are given the support and here is a chance to upgrade their knowledge and skills. We thus need all the support to host this conference.”
The Fundraising Committee chairman, Cherno Jallow, a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, said the money donated would go a long way in meeting their target for the conference.
“We will conduct so many surgeries that are beyond the targeted budget; therefore, any amount we have is worthy,” Dr Jallow said appreciatively.
