Posted by By Bekai Njie
The minister of Health and Social Welfare has apologized over comments she had made last month, accusing doctors of corruption – comments that generated widespread condemnation.
The Standard first reported the Health Minister Saffie Lowe-Ceesay as saying that efforts in developing Gambia’s Health Sector are held back by corrupt and unpatriotic doctors.
“When we talk about corruption in the health system, we all know how it is. These young doctors will just go and practice pharmaceuticals and some of them will open pharmacies with the resources that we have. I am very sure of what I am saying because I was the PS,” Minister Lowe-Ceesay was quoted on The Standard.
In a media dispatch sent to us yesterday, the minister said: “Following the unfortunate saga that unfolded on February 28th 2018, I wish to once again state as follows:”
“That the statement I made was out of malice. On the contrary, it was made to turn around the negative image that the Ministry is synonymous with,” she writes.
“As custodian of the sector and in the interest of the population, I extend an apology to anyone who might have been offended by the statement.”
The Ministry will continue to work in earnest and in close collaboration with all health personnel and ignore the undue distraction to put in place a desired drug accessibility system and better service delivery for the Gambian population who deserved better,” Mrs. Lowe-Ceesay further stated.