Should we raise questions over the testing procedures and the accuracy of the COVID-19 reports?

With the deaths of very important personalities are being announced almost every other day, there continues to be serious cause for alarm, even if some of these cases might not be covid-19 related. Other than these deaths, how many other deaths are there around the country that is not clearly segregated when the reports are given?

Many people have complained that they have been tested yet their results remain for days before they are shared, if ever they are shared. Many people dying are probably never tested to determined the causes, as a result the data on the infected and death cases remained flawed.

There are many measures to take to curb the pandemic in the Gambia, however, the fear is that those required to help support the efforts might be blaming other people for not adhering to the measures. It behoves on the state to protect the people at any cost and that includes vigorous sensitising and where necessary reasonable use of force for compliance.

If the funds available are not properly distributed to the local government authorities to empower them to manage the crisis for us, places like Farafenni and Basse, entry points to many migrants from Senegal in particular, could be danger zones for this pandemic soon.

We urge the Government to provide the needed funds to the local governing authorities – municipalities and councils – to help in their efforts to curb the pandemic. The Government should also provide clear strategies in helping resolve this. We cannot afford to sit in our offices and pretend we know it all, so the Government should engage those who can help by either their ideas or their resources to stop the spike in the infection cases and deaths

<When the master of the house lacks wisdom, the doctor’s work is useless> Ugandan proverb.