The club voiced its frustration through a press conference on Sunday.
Speaking to the media, the president of the organisation, Jorjo Mbaye, said: “We are Gambians that reside in Europe and we came together to help give back to our country especially in the health care system of our country.”
“On the 30th December 2024, we lay a foundation stone at Chamen for the construction of the ward. Three days later we received a letter that they have canceled our clearance and this shocked us because all we are trying to do is help our people,” she lamented.
“We were working hand-in-glove with the government on this project. Our plan was to build a bigger ward; however, they told us to not build a big one because they have plans to build a big hospital less than 10km from Nianija. We understood that and went ahead with our project and to our surprise recently, a letter was sent with the most shocking news that our clearance and license have been revoked.”
“We are going to go ahead with our construction because it’s a violation of our rights as we are citizens of the nation.”
“We have good health care system in our residents in Europe but we understand we have families and friends back home that use our local hospital. Therefore, they are the reasons we are doing this and we will stand on our ground.”
For her part, Mam Busso Kah, PRO Diaspora Club, said the idea of building a maternity ward was conceived since December 2022. “In February 2023, we settled for Chamen after going through the legal and necessary documentation and surveys. We were issued a clearance letter to start the project.”
“What we find disheartening is the discouraging of this project. Our sole aim is to help the people especially women of Chamen.”
In July 2024, the Ministry of Health gave approval to the Diaspora Club to build the facility at the Chamen Health Centre to improve maternal and child health in the village and surroundings.
However, in a dramatic twist, the ministry has now issued another letter signed by Dr Momodou Nyassi, Director of Health Services revoking the approval.
In the letter, according to The Standard, the MOH explained the change of decision.
MOH states: “This shift of plan is due to a secured grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the National Social Protection Secretariat to build new structures and renovate the existing ones of the entire health centre. The Ministry of Health appreciates your offer and would be grateful if your support could be redirected to support other areas.”
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