Hope for the Gambia - Please Help

Hope4Gambia

My name is Mai originally from the Gambia, West of Africa, residing in the UK.  I am appealing to you for help. 

Covid 19 has touched the lives of the many, the whole world in fact.  The Gambia has not been an exception . People there are really suffering especially the front liners. The health professionals have not got the PPE required to help them help others. This is just the tip of the iceberg.  Nurses and doctors are contracting Covid 19 due to the lack of PPE. Health professionals and people are dying.  In a small country that is under developed, the health system collapsing, its people poor to afford any health care for themselves, is calling for disaster to strike. 

There are no proper facilities or equipments in hospitals, let alone medications especially a Medical centre in a small town called Brikama.  People in Brikama are dying unnecessarily.  A good example is when an ambulance is required during an emergency, one is being asked to fuel the ambulance otherwise you will not be transported to hospital. How can a very sick person take care of fuel for an ambulance in that condition.  As a result, on many occasions people die as they were not in a position to source as requested. The hospital lack essential items such as beds, chairs, medical items/equipments, wheelchairs, mobility aids, PPE's  to name just a few and many other facilities required in a hospital.  People there are crying out for help. 

I therefore, appeal to you in supporting any way you can.  Equipments not being used any longer are highly welcomed. 

Please do let me know should you require any further information. 

Your consideration will be highly appreciated. 

Kind Regards

steve51

Hi @Hope4Gambia

Welcome it’s great to meet you today.

I am very very sorry to hear about your current problems in “The Gambia”

I have forwarded your post onto our senior team for their input.

Yes the World is in a very very bad place currently with regards to “Covid”

@steve51

janer1967

Hi and welcome to the community and thank you for sharing with us an raising awareness.

Howevwer I am not sure that your appeal is within the guidelines of this community so will tag in more senior members who can advise

@Cher_Scope @Tori_Scope can you advise on this post please 

Hope4Gambia

Hi @steve51,
Thank you for the warm welcome. Very much appreciated for forwarding my post to your senior team for their input. 

Let's fight Covid together! 

Hope to hear from you soon. 

Hope4Gambia

Chloe_Alumni

Welcome to the community @HopeworksGhana! Just to let you know that I have removed some of your posts as they were duplicates.

I'm really sorry to hear how things have been in Gamba, awful!

Hope4Gambia

Hi janer1967, 
Thank you for the warm welcome.  I have contacted scope earlier today by phone and was suggested to me to make a post through the community online for raising the awareness. 

I look forward to your highest consideration. 

Hope4Gambia 

Hope4Gambia

Thank you for the warm welcome  @Chloe_Scope.
Not a problem at all.  I noticed the duplicates earlier on and was unsure how to delete. You've come to my rescue. Much appreciated. 

Hope4Gambia. 

Hope4Gambia

@woodbine. 

   

Thank you for your response @woodbine.  I recognise the point you raised as I have a first hand experience as a front liner. The pandemic has had a huge impact on the lives of  the disabled people, the  NHS and especially the front line workers.  The lack of PPE's in the first few weeks during the Pandemic had a disastrous effect not just on doctors and nurses but created a huge risk to the rest of the people in UK. Thankfully as a developed country the UK government has done and doing what it can to alleviate the problem with its  economic resources.

NHS and healthcare staff protect us. Every day, while we’re safe at home, they go off to work to care for us.  At least the UK government has provided PPE's and the kit they need to protect us. They  set a goal  that everyone should get the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need. To achieve this the UK government  overcome a huge number of complex challenges by setting out a plan. 

In a third world country like the Gambia this is not how it plays out.  The government did came up with ideas of how to combat Covid 19, however not much has been put into action due to funding constraints or corruption.  I am not here to talk about politics, I am here to seek help for people who need it most as they cannot rely on the government of the Gambia.  The average Gambian earn £1 or less a day.  Poverty is rife How are they able to afford good  health care let alone combat Covid 19.

Covid 19 did not originate from the UK , even though it has one of the most developed and advanced healthcare system in the world, it is one of the countries that has been affected the most. 

To eradicate Covid 19 from one country to another or from one continent to another, we  would need to work together as a global village by supporting each other to  help eliminate the pandemic from the globe. The pandemic knows no border. This is one of the reasons I am seeking for help in any form as these people I am seeking help for  just want the basic needs in life. 

Hope4Gambia 

chiarieds

Hi @Hope4Gambia - I totally agree that all countries need to work together to fight this pandemic, as you say it 'knows no border.' I'm hoping that our world's scientists are working together with the aim of fighting this. There is also the World Health Organisation(WHO) doing there utmost to help. It seems all countries are suffering, & the virus is no discriminator of whether you live in a country with good health care, or not. Can you get any advice from WHO?

Hope4Gambia

Thanks @woodbine. I perfectly understand what you are saying. As stated before I work at the front line and have seen the devastating effects Covid 19 has made to people in UK.  It has had a tremendous impact on the lives of the disable as when as  every citizen in one way or  the other.  I cannot say or confirm how much The Gambia receives from the UK's 13 billion pounds of foreign aid it gives each year.

However I can say this that I contribute and give towards charities within the UK and it doesn't stop me to help those abroad either. 

I understand and totally respect your opinion and decision. Thank you for the enlightenment. 

Hope4Gambia

@chiarieds thank you very much for your response. We share the same sentiment.  I totally agree and hope we get some solution from the world scientists working together as soon as possible. The world health organisation I believe are doing their utmost best.  I believe they would be liaising with the Gambian authorities  in giving advice and how to control Covid 19. However the WHO will not be supplying second hand/used items and equipments that can be recycled and used again in a small medical centre in Brikama, the Gambia.  This is my rationale for approaching this platform.

Hope4Gambia 

chiarieds

Hi @Hope4Gambia - I'm not sure then whom you should best approach Mai, as it seems your main concern is if there is appropriate secondhand medical items that could be donated to the Gambia.

Like yourself, I donate to UK charities, & some that are also international.

I've tried looking into this for your native country, as I appreciate your work here in the UK as a front liner, & can only say, thank you for all you do. Perhaps Medical Aid International, a UK based charity may help, or say who else may be able to do so. Please see: https://www.medaid.co.uk/

If this doesn't help, please say, & I will look further.

Hope4Gambia

@chiarieds
Hope you are well. Apologies for the delay in my response.   At th is point in time we are looking for anything that is not being used and in working order. That is very kind of you in looking into charities that may be able to help. Really appreciate it. I've sent an email to them and await their response.   Believe me it is a good start.

I will update you as soon as I receive a response. 

Kind Regards 
Mai

chiarieds

Hi @Hope4Gambia - Thank you for your kind response, Mai. I do hope the charity I mentioned may be able to help. Letting us know how you get on will be appreciated.