Faji Kunda Health Centre marks 11th award, data presentation

The award presentation avail the officials the opportunity to recognise deserving staff, who have made tremendous inroads in their respective units. Similarly, the data presentation accord officials to assess some of the progress made at the facility this past year, while outlining their loopholes with a view to addressing them in the future.

Covering a catchment area population of over 200,000, Faji Kunda Major Health Centre is the only major health centre in Western Health Region 1.

Welcoming the gathering, Ramatoulie Camara, Officer-in-Charge of Faji Kunda Health Centre, reminded that the award and data presentation has been a routine event at the centre since its inception in 2012. 

“Data have been put across for the community of Faji Kunda to see what the facility has done and what are the way forward to improving where lapses occur. However, this year’s event, is a one with mixed feelings in view of the fact that there are a lot of achievements that the facility has recorded, while at the same time some trials that the facility has undergone.”

OIC Camara thanked the community for their support in standing by the facility and all the staff that have contributed towards the success of the centre.

She equally encouraged staff of the centre, who were awarded in recognition of their selfless sacrifice to continue the momentum, while challenging others to do more to be recipients in the coming years.

She also thanked all those who supported the facility in one way or the other in strengthening health care services at the centre.

For her part, Fatou Sanyang, Principal Nursing Officer, who doubles as Director of Western Health Region One, reminded that to maintain a health care environment, facility managers or OICs must engage in some degree of staff management and coordination.

“Managing staff goes well beyond just creating schedules or solving communication issues. Ensuring that you correctly utilise every staff member and the entire team can work at its maximum efficiency. When a patient walks into a hospital, health care centre, or a waiting room that person has contain some expectations about the environment she encounters at the facility.” 

She challenged OIC Camara to create a conducive environment for the staff, as well as ensure that staff welfare and morality is taken into account.

Also speaking, Alhagie Sankareh, regional director of health services, Western Region One, informed that team work is key in achieving any meaningful result, saying the caliber of Senior Management Team at the centre needs to be commended for their perseverance and tolerance.

He called on the facility’s management to encourage the team to be able to address some of their challenges.

Sankareh hailed the management of the centre for their dedication, saying managing staff from different background is not an easy task.

“But that they were able to manage the staff to ensure that quality health care is delivered at the centre.”

He spoke of their plans to operationalise the main theatre at the centre in the coming days, further thanking all those who supported the facility in ensuring that quality health care is ensured at the facility.

In order to respond to the health care needs of the populace, Sankareh said, staff must work as a team to support the management in ensuring those goals are met.

He outlined that the government of The Gambia through the Ministry is working to ensure that public health officers are empowered at times. He, however, called for attitudinal change among health care workers, as he put it ‘to whom much is given, much is expected.’

He disclosed his directorate’s uncompromising stance to poor attitude to work, further challenging health care workers to change their attitude for the better.

The event witnessed a data presentation by Fatima Bah, deputy OIC of Faji Kunda Health Centre and Pateh Saho among others.