By: Yunus S Saliu
A Denmark-based Gambian philanthropist, Sulayman Junkung Sawaneh, has donated medical equipment and other essential supplies to the Abuko Health Centre to support healthcare service delivery.
The donation, presented on 2 July, included mattresses, a wheelchair, crutches, a blood pressure monitor, chairs, bedsheets, an electric kettle, bottled water and other medical items.
The supplies were received by the Abuko Ward Councillor, Ousman Darbo, who handed them over to the Officer in Charge of the Abuko Health Centre, Lamin Ndow, during a brief ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Sawaneh commended health workers at the facility for their dedication and urged citizens to complement government efforts by contributing to national development.
“It is not when you become a millionaire or billionaire before you can help. No contribution is too small if you have a giving heart,” he said.
Sawaneh said he has supported communities and institutions from his personal resources for more than three decades and pledged to continue assisting whenever possible.
He attributed his commitment to community service to the culture of volunteerism and self-reliance he observed while living in Europe, adding that he hopes to inspire others to contribute to national development.
Sawaneh, a native of Jaba Kunda in the North Bank Region, said he has a strong attachment to Abuko and would continue supporting the community.
Receiving the donation, Councillor Darbo thanked the donor for what he described as a timely contribution to the health centre, saying the items would help improve service delivery.
He noted that the health centre was established through community efforts and said the donation would complement ongoing efforts to improve healthcare services.
For his part, Officer in Charge Lamin Ndow described the donation as timely, saying it had addressed some immediate needs at the facility, including a shortage of chairs and other essential equipment.
Ndow appealed to philanthropists and development partners to support the health centre’s infrastructure needs, including the construction of a perimeter fence, a labour ward and a laboratory to enhance healthcare delivery.
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