President Adama Barrow yesterday laid the foundation stone of a new hospital that is expected to revolutionise healthcare for Gambians. Horizons Hospital is the brainchild of renowned Gambian neurosurgeon and urologist Professor James Ndow.
Situated at Senegambia Beach in Kololi, a suburb of Greater Banjul, the 60-bed modern hospital, once operational, will have state of the art, world class health facilities. It will provide quality medical treatment to Gambians, especially in such areas as maternal care. Founder James Ndow said he was particularly pleased that poor pregnant mothers and their children would be able to benefit from the facility.
Horizon Clinic is also expected to complement The Gambia’s already flourishing tourism, drawing in foreigners in search of ideal destinations for medical tourism.
President Barrow expressed satisfaction that the completion of the hospital would reduce the need for expensive medical care abroad. Each year, he noted, The Gambia and the sub-region loses millions of dollars in revenue through a lack of international standard healthcare. He described the project as transformational, given the currently poor and underfunded state of the country's health care system. “It is a project that will be of great benefit to the people of The Gambia, both in terms of the services that it will provide as well as the employment opportunities that it will potentially create,” he said.
Professor Ndow has brought together various partners for the funding of the project. They include the African Development Bank, The Islamic Development Bank and several other institutions and private founders in this public-private partnership