By Sulayman Waan
Medical Research Council- The Gambia and the Brikama District Hospital (BDH) Tuesday launched two-year project that seeks to prevent and treat Coronavirus associated severe pneumonia.
The project targets the Brikama District Hospital and Bundung Maternal Child Health (BMCH) catchment areas. It aims to help in controlling the spread of the novel corona virus among infected people. This project also provides effective medication to patients in order to prevent serious illness or dying.
The project would take care of seriously affected patient admitted at the MRC treatment centre in Fajara and government treatment facilities such as the sanatorium, until they are discharged.
In this project, health official would further treat patients at BDH and BMCH for fourteen days and allow them to return after twenty- eight days for Covid-19 medical check-up.
Representing the MRC unit- The Gambia, Anna Roca, chief investigator for MRC-Gambia described the novel coronavirus as global crisis and added that the partnership between the MRC and BDH is crucial in combating the pandemic.
The MRC officials believed that the coronavirus is under control in the Gambia, saying “now there are fewer cases in the country compare to couple of months ago, in July and August.”
She said at this point many have understand how to response to the disease but there is a need for people to gain more information on how to attain to the patients.
“With collaboration with the community this project would happened. And it is important to minimize harms of the pandemic in the country. It is going to minimize the severity and minimize the transmission among family members,” the researcher said.
She called on all to collectively combat this invisible enemy of mankind in the country in order to prevent its further spread among the public.
Representing Director of Health Service, Dr Mariama Drammeh commended MRC for the partnership while said The Gambia government is committed to combat the coronavirus in the country.
Dr Usul Effua, principal investigator for MRC- Gambia said the Gambia had registered over three thousand COVID- 19 cases and over hundred people died as a result of coronavirus in the country.
On MRC contribution to curb the spread of COVID-19 in The Gambia, she said MRC- The Gambia engaged on a drug trial to combat the disease. She said due to the fact, the Gambia is low income country then in this study MRC is try medication like aspiring drugs that are accessible and affordable in the country.
This, she said would help in controlling the pandemic on Gambian soil.
She said the council also look and care at severely sick people to ensure their condition is not worst, “To see whether we can prevent them from dying. Is not easy for a health worker seeing people suffer from respiratory illness and you have to give them oxygen and monitor.”
“Lots of people get the virus but they don’t get very sick whereas some people get very sick and admitted to hospitals and need oxygen. So, we thought of drugs that would be able intervene at different stages of the disease spectrum,” she said.
Lamin Sanneh, governor for West Coast Region (WCR) express gratitude to the Medical Research Council- The Gambia chapter for partnering the Ministry of Health (MOH) to combating this deadly disease, saying this international health institution is offering great service for Gambians at all times.
He said comparing the budget allocated to MOH and the health issues globally therefore; there is a need for the health ministry to partner with helpful institutions such as MRC to support the Gambia Government in fighting diseases.
Lamin Sanyang, Nursing Officer In-charge for BDH said the relationship between the BDH and MRC-The Gambia has been in existence for quire longtime. However, he portrayed the project as COVID-19 trial.
He enjoined the staff of BDH to work unanimously with the MRC officials to ensure they attain the sustainable development goals of this project.
