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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Dec 2009 : 21:30:52
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Can any readers of bantaba in cyberspace who have visited recently or still live in The Gambia shead any light on the following,during a recent visit to Youna (to partake of the local sweet palm wine !) as our gillie gillie ( no taxis for me, very tight, so couldn't investigate further) rattled along the sand track and bounced up and down the pot holes, we passed a blue painted metal sign on a side dirt road which read, "Tanka Tanka psychiatric Hospital" with an arrow pointing up the narrow track,there was no sign of any buildings as far as the eye could see to show if the hospital was in existance or what size it was,could this be the new site of the Campama hospital? up a narrow track in the middle of nowhere ? Anyone know anything about this is it a new facility or an old closed one? It's a little way from the strip,but perhaps someone knows,if you do, lets hear please.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 07 Dec 2009 00:39:19 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11785 Posts |
Posted - 07 Dec 2009 : 13:56:15
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Toubab, Welcome back!
I did a search in Google and found a link to: http://www.gip-global.org/p/44/281/tanka-tanka-psychiatric-hospital-the-gambia-
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..................Mental health was not one of the topics on the agenda but was mentioned several times in the context of general right to health care in. Carola managed to make contact with several NGO's whom we may collaborate with in the future. She extended her stay to visit the new Tanka tanka hospital, a newly built psychiatric hospital just outside the capital of Banjul for 80 patients. It is a great improvement compared to the former facility, the Campama psychiatric hospital, which was located in an old prison.
The Tanka tanka hospital is the only psychiatric hospital on the whole coast of West Africa. The staff is committed and the patients treated well. But challenges remain for the nearby future. There is only one trained psychiatric nurse who is responsible for all patients (average 60-80 people). Another interesting fact about The Gambia is that there's not a single psychiatrist in the whole country!
The clients who are dismissed from Tanka tanka are followed up once every 3 weeks only, when basic medical trained staff makes home-visits. On average patients stay in the hospital for six weeks and when they are stable enough they are sent home. App. 5 people have found their home in Tanka tanka as they have been in the institution for almost their entire life..
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Try and check in Google maps if the road does not lead to somewhere in the bushes..
Example:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=da&geocode=&q=batukunku,+gambia&sll=13.316506,-16.79565&sspn=0.030486,0.038409&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Batukunku,+Gambia&t=h&z=13 |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 07 Dec 2009 : 17:48:41
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Well Well Momodou, I have been guilty of what I always do, or do not do,depending on which way you look at it,that is failing to do research before putting postings on Bantaba,so this is the New Campama hospital, looks great,new,and probably staffed by dedicated people.A glaring ommission though is that " there's not a single psychiatrist in the whole country! " I wonder if its in the remit of the WHO to fund such a position? Thanks again Momodou.This project seems to be again from the Dutch people who are very fond of The Gambia and do a great deal of good works.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11785 Posts |
Posted - 07 Dec 2009 : 18:25:32
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It’s good that these people help by building a hospital in order to improve conditions for the mentally sick in the Gambia. However, the write-up on the website is exaggerating too much by claiming that their "Tanka tanka hospital is the only psychiatric hospital on the whole coast of West Africa". I don't know where they got their facts but I spoke to a Ghanian friend who told me that there are at least 5 psychiatric hospitals in Ghana alone (2 in Accra, 1 in Takoradi, 2 in other regions). |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 07 Dec 2009 : 22:57:56
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They suffer from my problem,no research before writing  But hey, one better hospital is an improvement on one poor hospital !!
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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