Dr Patrick Chang, Taiwanese Ambassador to The Gambia, on Tuesday presented a cheque amounting to US$7,920 to Dr Tamsir Mbowe, Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare at a ceremony held at DoSH.

The sum is meant for the procurement of biomedical equipment for the Brikama Health Centre theater.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Ambassador Chang, expressed admiration to the Gambian leader, President Yahya Jammeh, for the attention he attaches to the health sector in The Gambia.

Dr Chang also commended the Health Department for its efforts in bringing adequate health care delivery to the door steps of every Gambian.

“President Jammeh and my President Chen Su-Bien share common thoughts on health,” he said. Dr Chang however maintained that his embassy will continue to support the health sector of The Gambia Responding to the gesture, Dr Tamsir Mbowe, Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare thanked the Taiwanese people and government on behalf of President Jammeh and his Department of State for the gesture.

Dr Mbowe said the gesture will greatly help in their new project that DOSH is presently working on the ‘Emergency Maternity and new born health project” which, according to him is a joint venture by his Department, WHO and Child Health Advocacy International in the U.K.

According to the health Secretary, maternal mortality is a global problem and any individual or organisation that helps in the reduction of this problem should be commended. “This project started in Brikama in Western Region and plans are in the offing to replicate it in other regions of the country.

Dr Mbowe added that he is informed that maternal mortality has significantly been reduced in the country from 1,130 to 556.

According to him, hopefully by 2015 under the leadership of President Jammeh, maternal mortality will be significantly reduced.

Speaking earlier, Ramou Cole Ceesay, Head of National Reproductive and Child Health Programme at DoSH said, the programme aims to assist DoSH towards attaining the MDGs number 4 and 5 which focus on child and mortality reduction by the year 2015.

According to her, through the Department of State for Health, they have six strategically located major health centres throughout the country.

“These major health centres are expected to provide all basic material and child health services amongst other things” she said. Present at the ceremony included Momodou Sanyang , Managing Director of GRTS and Dr Mariatou Jallow ,Director of Health Services chaired the occasion.