President Jammeh, on Friday commissioned a haemodialysis machine and computer tomography (CT) scanner at a ceremony held at the Royal Victorial Teaching Hospital (RVTH) in Banjul.

Speaking at the occasion, President Yahya Jammeh noted that with the availability of the machine, Gambians suffering from kidney failure will no longer seek treatment outside the country. He promised to provide all major health centres with the machine and sponsor the training of personnel responsible for its operation.

For her part, Ajaratou Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy thanked President Jammeh for his laudable gesture, noting that President Jammeh is committed to providing better health care delivery to all Gambians. She also advised the staff members to use the machine with the utmost care.

Secretary of State for Health, Dr Tamsir Mbowe, said the machine would help improve quality health service delivery in the country. He thanked the President for providing the hospital with modern medical equipment.

He noted that the commissioning of the machines marks the greatest day in the history of the hospital, adding that he is very much confident that they will achieve the MDGs  in the health sector.

The haemodialysis machine is used to remove toxic substances from the body in the event of a kidney failure. SoS Mbowe also noted that  the computer tomography scanner can also be used to communicate to doctors in any part of the world with regards to information on any disease. The haemodialysis machine was donated by President Jammeh, while the C T scanner was purchased with the support of  the Taiwanese government.