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Momodou
Denmark
11735 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Mar 2011 : 14:21:33
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Foroyaa Editorial : ERADICATION OF MALARIA SHOULD START WITH RVTH
Where Are The Mosquito Nets for Patients, Especially Children?
07-03-11
The Minister of Health should visit the major referral teaching hospital at night to find out for herself the mosquito infestation which is threatening the health of patients, nurses and family members who help to take care of patients. One of the frequent comments of people who have patients admitted at RVTH is the danger of mosquito bites because of the heavy presence of swarms of mosquitoes that no doctor, nurse, patient or visitor could fail to notice.
A visitor had to go out to purchase a mosquito net when it became clear to him that the hospital would not provide the facility to his patient.
The Minister should visit the offices of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It is mentioned that to date it has committed US$ 21.7 billion in 150 countries to support large-scale prevention, treatment and care programmes against the three diseases.
As far as The Gambia is concerned it is reported that a grant amounting to 98.8 Million dollars has been approved for the Country and between 2004 and 2010 a sum of 69 Million dollars has been disbursed. It goes without saying that the provision of treated bed nets has been a major strategy of the Gambia Government for malaria prevention. According to the records of the global fund seven hundred and seventy five thousand, seven hundred and five (775,705) nets have been distributed so far among a Gambian population they estimate to be 1.7 Million persons.
It is therefore incomprehensible why a hospital in the Gambia could admit patients without providing them with treated bed nets or allow nurses to stay in wards with windows and doors that are not provided with appropriate wire gauze to ensure proper ventilation and protection from mosquito infestation.
The Ministry needs to act now to save patients from coming to seek cure for different ailments only to contract malaria at the hospital.
Source: Foroyaa
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