Dr Mustapha Bittaye, chief medical officer and head of Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, has rejected allegations made by exiled former President Yahya Jammeh that hospitals in The Gambia are reusing syringes on multiple patients.

In a recently circulated audio recording, Jammeh alleged that since his departure from office in 2017, the country’s healthcare system has deteriorated significantly.

“A single syringe for injection is being used on eight people,” he claimed, adding that under his rule, “Senegalese used to come to The Gambia for treatment, just like Gambians.”

Jammeh, who led the country for 22 years before going into exile, provided no evidence to support the claim.

Dr Bittaye dismissed the allegations as entirely unfounded.

“That is far-fetched and not true. It has never happened and it will never happen,”he told Gambiana, reaffirming the hospital’s commitment to internationally accepted health and safety protocols.

While The Gambia’s health system faces ongoing challenges, health officials insist that basic infection prevention measures, including the use of sterile syringes, remain standard practice across medical facilities. 

Jammeh’s allegations are considered “false” due to a lack of evidence and firm denials from senior medical authorities. No credible reports have surfaced to support the claim of syringe reuse in Gambian hospitals.

By Adama Makasuba