The president of the republic, Dr. Alhagie Yahya A.J.J Jammeh as part of the celebrations marking the thirteenth July 22nd Anniversary, recently commissioned the new central medical stores and public health laboratory at Kotu.

The health services development project is jointly funded by the government of The Gambia and the African Development Bank at the tune of D97.1million.

The project is designed to minimize institutional constraints to effective health delivery.

The project contract was awarded to Guangxi International Construction and Engineering Company.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the president reassured that health education and agriculture would remain to be priorities of his government.

The Gambian leader said without good health there cannot be any meaningful development, noting that education and health are interdependent.

“He said for education, the sky is the limit and for health the space is the limit.”

President Jammeh has assured Gambians that health will remain a priority and in two years time will build a new facility better than the Central Medical Stores and Public Health Laboratory.

He said that the AFPRC Hospital in Farafenni would be the best Rural Hospital in Africa.

For his part the Secretary of State for health, Dr. Tamsir Mbowe, commended President Jammeh and the international partners for their support towards the project.

He said the new facility is equipped with the state of the art facilities.

Delivering her welcoming remarks, Dr. Mariatou Tala Jallow, chief Pharmacist, DOSH, said the national pharmaceutical service administration will deal with technical and policy issues of the pharmaceutical sector, the drug supply system and the drug regulatory activities of the medical board.

Dr. Jallow stated that the facility will help them greatly in their work.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Madam Nellie Lloyd Evans, principal Laboratory Scientist, and Mawdo Sowe project manager.