Staff Accommodation and the Utility Building now completed.
Generator shed built and generator installed and working.
Final construction work underway.
Two more Auxiliary Nurses start their 2-year S.E.N training course.

More information on these items is on the project page.

We had a most useful meeting with Hon Dr A. Gaye, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Dr Omar Sey, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Health [Technical] and made arrangements for special training of the three cleaning ladies who the government have employed to keep the health clinic clean. We also discussed the necessity of mosquito nets to be provided in the clinic and the possibility of using the clinic as a distribution point for nets being given to pregnant women and mothers with young babies.
Hon Dr Gaye also said that he had already contacted personnel in the government about improving the road access to the clinic. He was the first to mention the problems that would arise as and when the rainy season was in full swing. Because of flooding access would be extremely difficult in anything other than a 4 x 4 wheeled vehicle. Whilst on this subject we raised the question of an ambulance being made available. At the moment it was not always possible to get transport from Kuntair when an emergency occurred. To rely on a donkey and cart was not acceptable in this day and age, when we knew that new ambulances had been delivered elsewhere in the country. There must be an older ambulance now available. Hopefully he will follow this request through to a satisfactory conclusion.
Finally we discussed the chance to give additional training to the auxiliary nursing staff while the clinic was quiet during May. We felt that two or three weeks working in a busier hospital at either Kerewan, Essau or Farafeni would be of much help and interest to the nursing staff.

Following this meeting we sent a letter to Hon Dr Gaye to confirm what was discussed and the decisions agreed. We now await the outcome.

A few days later we had a meeting with the chairman of Muslim Aid, Sheik Wadda and his assistant Ansumana Dibba. We discussed the possibility of obtaining some medical drugs from their charity. They are able to obtain these items from manufacturers in the USA and agreed to add the name of our health clinic to their list of charities that require help in The Gambia. Again we will have to wait and see what, if anything, transpires.

During the second week of our visit I was able to attend the weekly meetings of the two Rotary Clubs that are in The Gambia, Banjul Club and Fajara Club. At both meetings I was able to explain how Rotarians here in Derbys and Notts had given us both financial and material support in the development of the Health Clinic and would appreciate confirmation from Rotarians in The Gambia that we had done all that we said would be done. The Presidents of both clubs said they were very willing to visit the Health Clinic and then report back to fellow Rotarians here in the UK.

We also had a number of other meetings with people who came to us at Kololi., which proved most successful. These meetings covered problems with the Solar Power, quotes for additional work, review of quotes already submitted and discussions about additional ideas that would, may, or might be beneficial to the Health Clinic.
All in all this was a very busy and successful working trip.