Abdou K Sillah, Mariama Badji, Muniru Savage and Bully Camara, all medical students at the University of The Gambia (UTG) last week returned home, after attending the first ever Asian Pacific Medical Students Symposium (APMSS), from the 12-16 March, at the National Taipei University College of Medicine in Taiwan.

The Asian symposium attracted at least 100 delegates and was aimed at bringing together medical students from different universities to exchange ideas and discuss key issues pertaining to public health policies, medical humanities and research, among others.

Shortly after their return, the delegation paid a courtesy call on Dr Patrick Chang, Taiwanese Ambassador.

Speaking to the Daily observer, Abdou K Sillah, President of the Medical Students Association at the UTG, who also led the delegation, expressed gratitude to President Yahya Jammeh, Taiwanese Embassy in Banjul, and the UTG for their support in ensuring their participation in APMSS.

He described the symposium as educative and innovative, adding that The Gambia was the only African country that participated in the event, noting that participants were drawn from Australia, Europe, America, Asia and Africa.

According to him, many people in that part of the world did not know much about The Gambia. However, he added, the symposium provided the opportunity to sell the country, especially in the field of medical and health sciences.

He acknowledged the positive role the government of The Gambia plays under the dynamic leadership of President Jammeh, in providing quality education for Gambians. "They were impressed with the potential we have here. Students in Africa having the opportunity to interact and share ideas with students from different regions is really wonderful”, he said.

At the symposium, he said, “we presented” a paper on ‘The Gambia Medical Education’.