“I always wanted my son to become a responsible person in the future, who will contribute immensely towards nation building. However, his life was cut short due to the negligence of those who were supposed to protect him. He died as a result of the Acute Kidney Injury. This is so painful. My son was so close to me,” Ebrima Sanyang, who lost his son, said in tears.
Mr. Sanyang was speaking on Friday during a press conference organised by the “Justice for the 66+ Women Movement. The presser, held at the Baobab Hotel in Bijilo was attended by parents who lost their kids as a result of the paracetamol syrup.
Sanyang explains. “My son, Lamin Sanyang, was three to four years old before he died. I still couldn’t believe he he’s gone. He was only sick for one day. I took him to the pharmacy and they gave us a lot of medicines, which included paracetamol syrup. When I returned home, I gave him the paracetamol syrup which was around midnight. However, the following day, my son couldn’t urinate and couldn’t go to the toilet. When this happened, we all became worried and confused,” he said.
“The following day, I took my son to the Africmed Clinic. We were given some medications and later referred to the Edward Francis Small Teaching hospital (EFSTH) in Banjul. Operation was conducted on my son. However, it’s so difficult to have a sick person at the hospital when you are poor. What is even more worrying was that there were no medications at our hospitals,” he stated in tears.
“Guns will not enter the country without the authorities checking it. Therefore, this should not also happen in the health sector. This is not about politics. It happens to me and it could happen to any other person tomorrow. No nation can develop in the absence of good health.”
Ebrima Saidy, who also lost one of his twins due to the AKI, said: “Negligence from the government causes the death of the children. It’s like they don’t care about us. I bought medications at the pharmacy and when my kid drank them, her condition started deteriorating. What is more painful at the moment is the fact that her other twin sister keeps asking us about the whereabouts of her sister. The only thing we use to tell her is that her sister travels. This is so painful,” he explained in tears.
Wuri Bailo Keita, said: My daughter Fatoumatta Keita, who was two years three months was only sick for one day. I took her to the pharmacy and we were also given paracetamol syrup. When her condition started to change, we went to the EFSTH. She was also operated on. It’s now time for us to get up and help each other.”
Madi Jobarteh, a human right activist said: “No one is safe in this country. This only happens in one sector which is the health sector. How about others like the food? It’s now time for citizens to come together to fight with the objectives of ensuring that there’s accountability. We need to stand up in order to ensure that there is justice, accountability and truth. As we speak, no one is arrested or an importer is suspended as a result of the AKI.”
“The government is economical with the truth when it comes to giving information on the issue of the AKI. We are not going to be intimidated. When we held the candlelight at the Youth Monument at Westfield, we were asked to leave by the security. Again here, they are following us. Enough is enough. It’s our constitutional right to have the presser especially at a private place. Therefore, we will do so without fear and favour. We will show solidarity with the victims,” Neneh Freda Gomez said.
She added: “We will protest if need be. However, we will engage the relevant authorities on the need for accountability and transparency, but if there is a need to go on the streets, we will do so.”
“This has nothing to do with politics. We all should speak. If this was in another country, it would not only stop at a press conference. We believe the government is trying to downplay the figures. Others died at home. There are no medications at our hospitals and sick people now prefer to go to the pharmacy. The truth is, people lost confidence in the health minister, and thus he should go. The only thing he does is to increase his allowance. What happened in this country should warrant two days of mourning. If the death of these children was in another country, arrest would have been already made,” M.C. Junior said
Lamin Fatty, the National Coordinator of CPA, Fatou Secka a victim, Ndey Fatima Jammeh part of the organisers all called for justice and accountability.
