By: Nyima Sillah
International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in partnership with The Gambia Red Cross Society on Friday donated personal protective equipment (PPE), which including boots, apron, goggle, surgical masks, respiratory masks, thermometer, face shield, gown, glove, and body bags – to Gambia Prison Services to help curb spread of coronavirus among prisons staff and inmates.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Ansuma Manneh, director general of Gambia Prison Services said the donation is timely “as we are all aware that we are in covid-19 era and prison is one of the most vulnerable institutions.”
He outlined their challenges including PPEs saying “because our officers are in the treatment sites as frontline officers but they have not gotten any protection apart from their uniforms.”
He called for more interventional support from Gambia Red Cross Society. He added that his institution doesn’t have enough health experts.
GRCS secretary general, Alasana Seghore, said the gesture is important to them giving the fact that they are here at this point in time to get rid of COVID-19. “The only way to achieve that is to strengthen our response by extending our services to all the institutions and services that live within the country.”
He added that a lot have been done in terms of response but those of the responses were basically out there and not to specific institution like the Gambia Prison Services.
He said people often respond but they forgot some of those essential services. “It is important in the sense that, inside the prison you have other people and those people are relative, so if they don’t support them and prevent the spread of covid-19 then they are not doing enough in terms of preventing the transmission of the virus.”
“As a National Society knowing the challenges of the prisons, we have decided to include other things which the prison services are going to need at this time. The items include mosquito nets, blankets, masks, disinfected galloons of infected and bed sheets,” he said.