She stated that the hospital, which serves patients from across The Gambia and even neighbouring Senegal and Guinea, is meant to provide specialised care, rehabilitation and reintegration for people living with mental health conditions. Instead, the committee found a place burdened by chronic shortages, infrastructural decay and a near-total lack of government support. The fact that a single social worker is responsible for all 85 patients was seen not just as a staffing gap, but a critical threat to patient welfare.
“One of the most worrying discoveries was that Tanka Tanka had been operating without a functional pharmacy. Essential medications were being kept in the matron’s office, an arrangement that both staff and the committee agreed was unsafe and unsustainable. A dressing room was being renovated to serve as a temporary pharmacy, but until that is completed, the hospital continues to function with improvisation rather than proper systems.”
She added that recordkeeping at the facility is still entirely manual, further complicating the work of the already overstretched staff. The committee also noted that three classrooms meant to support patients who wish to return to school remain idle. The hospital had submitted a request to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education for assessment, but months after no feedback had been received. In the meantime, the classrooms now double as inpatient and outpatient rooms when the need arises.
She further said the challenges extended beyond staffing and records. “Several washing machines and dryers in the laundry department were out of service due to electrical faults. Heavy-duty machines supplied to the hospital were unusable because they could not be moved from where they were delivered. The committee was further alarmed to learn that the building housing male patients had previously been burned in an attempted suicide incident. Although the patient was rescued, the building remains unrepaired, significantly straining the hospital’s capacity.”
“There were, however, a few hopeful notes. The occupational therapy centre, renovated by the TIKI Foundation, is fully functional and widely used by patients. But even this success story only highlighted the broader issue: the hospital and other key institutions rely heavily on international donors and philanthropists. According to staff, they receive minimal to no direct support from the Ministry of Gender and Social Welfare, making it difficult to sustain essential services.”
The committee listed long-standing challenges facing Tanka Tanka, including inadequate staff, insufficient resources, shortage of mattresses, lack of mosquito nets and drugs, absence of an ambulance, inadequate security, poor road access during the rainy season, lack of a proper pharmacy and poorly equipped classrooms. They also cited interference from the ministry in the hospital’s management as a recurring problem.
