“Many Nurses Are Going On Leave Without Salaries”-Says NAGaNM Spokesman

Photo: Sanna Darboe (Photo Credit WhatsApp Image)

By Ousman A. Marong

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of The National Association of Gambia Nursing and Midwives (NAGaNM), Sanna Darboe, has said many nurses at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital EFSTH are going on a leave of absence (leave without salary) in which some have already reigned.

Mr. Darboe has made these revelations to The MAMOS Media, during a telephone interview on Friday, 7th August.

“So many nurses are going on a leave of absence (leave without salary), some have already resigned from EFSTH,” said Mr. Sanna Darboe.

Photo: Sanna Darboe 

The NAGaNM Spokesman said some of the nurses have withdrawn money to buy medications and foodstuff to distribute it to different quarantine centers strictly for their colleague nurses only. He said NAGaNM has on several occasions engaged the authorities to look into the plight of nurses and doctors before the beginning of the pandemic.

“We have been going up and down meeting and engaging the relevant authorities, but our efforts remained futile. As the current situation, we received complaints from our comrades a few days ago. We went rounds to find out if their complaints are factual, to our dismay, worst is happening,” he remarked.

He said after their visit to different treatment centers where their colleagues who were tested positive of the disease were kept, they realized that their conditions were not encouraging.

“Their conditions were quite horrible and no one was providing them with any medical attention. Some were packed at hotels where they have not looked after. They are there on their own doing everything for themselves,” Mr. Darboe said.

The NAGaNM Spokesman went on to say that every citizen has a right and responsibility to take care of him or herself.

He added: “In any, the situation, where you have all the nurses are being infected or quarantined no one will be there to take care of the patients.” 

He confirmed that more than 45 Gambian nurses have been tested positive of the deadly virus while others are currently under quarantine.

“These people have families to take care of. If they are not having the necessary materials to protect themselves, meaning they are putting their lives and families at risk,” said PRO Darboe.

He noted that NAGaNM currently needed support from everyone home, abroad, and from the government.  

“Family members should encourage and give support to the nurses and doctors and stop influencing them to resign or leave without salary,” he advised.

He opined that if such the trend continues everyone would end up leaving the profession while leaving the patients to die in the hospitals.

“Yusupha Darboe taking the exit gate at Star FM wasn’t dramatic”, Says Veteran Broadcaster Alhagie Sarjo Barrow

PHOTO: Alhagie Sarjo Barrow (Photo Credit his Facebook timeline)

By Ousman A. Marong

Gambia’s veteran broadcaster Alhagie Sarjo Barrow has said that his co-presenter in the person of Yusupha Darboe taking the exit gate at Star FM was not something dramatic. Asked about the rumors allegation that he (Sarjo Barrow) is a loyal supporter to President Adama Barrow and that his co-presenter in the person of Yusupha Darboe is also a loyal supporter to the People’s United Democratic Party (UDP) thus caused the rouse leading to Yusupha’s eschewing the presenter’s seat at the popular Star FM Radio. The veteran broadcaster answered in the affirmative saying people are entitled to their own opinions.

According to him, Star FM had its own editorial policy where reporters and presenters do pass their reports to. He added that amongst their editorial policy at Star FM the direct reading from the Newspapers was the last resort to do.

He made this pronouncement in an interview with Senn FM’s current affairs Radio program anchored by Buba Gagigo. He said it is unethical for the radio stations to be directly taking news from the Newspapers.

“One should not put the blame on the radio stations for their direct involvement in quoting news from the Newspapers”, he stated. He added the majority of the FM stations in town are not that financially strong to be able to send their reporters in the field to fetch stories, queries.

“Part of our editorial policy was that our overall aims and the objective were that we should be fetching for our own news.”

Mr. Barrow denied ever having any issue with Yusupha Darboe or him contributing towards his resignation at Star FM. He outlined that in life people’s mannerisms do speak volumes about the kind of person they are.

“Even my son is far way older than Yusupha Darboe. I have passed that stage to be head logging with my junior ones in the field of broadcasting”, he stressed. He disclosed that he is not part of the broadcasters who do cheat on broadcasting during their news presentation.

“I have been into broadcasting since the era of the first elderly statesmen Sir Dawda Jawara and I have never been engaged in castigating any head of state.” He emphasized that he has been doing justice in the way he does his news presentation. He said even during the time of ex-president Yahya Jammeh with all his authoritative ruling he (Sarjo Barrow) has been doing justice to him. He stated there is no single day in his carrier were a piece of news would be given to him to broadcast and he would feel otherwise.

He alleged that during the political deadlock former Information Minister Sheriff Bojang appeared before him (Sarjo Barrow) in the order of ex-president Jammeh ordering him to go on state TV to pronounce that ex-president Jammeh said he won’t relinquish power.

“I had no choice other than to go ahead and carry on the proposed pronouncement.” I did the pronouncement with bitterness, said Sarjo Barrow.  He recalls Sheriff Bojang dashing him with one thousand dalasis (1000) pledging his satisfaction on the pronouncement made by him (Sarjo Barrow). He confirmed Sheriff Bojang telling him that ex-president Jammeh would be happy hearing his pronouncement over the air. He further alleged that during the political impasse ex-president Jammeh ordered the then Director General at GRTS that they shouldn’t be referring to him as outgoing president Jammeh and that Adama Barrow should not also be called president-elect Barrow.