Mother and Baby clinic

The first medical missionary to come to The Gambia was Edna Green from the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society, who set up a mother and baby clinic in Bathurst (now Banjul) in 1926. That clinic lasted until 1940 but it was not until the 1960's that medical work featured again in the Methodist Church's programme. The Chairman of the District at that time, the Rev lan Roach, was approached by a Methodist layman, Mr Edwards, who had been involved in a Medical Research Centre programme at Marakissa which identified that the eye disease - trachoma - was a major problem in the rural areas of the Kombo Western District. He asked if the Methodist Church would consider establishing some permanent medical provision.

Marakissa

Consequently medical care began at Marakissa and the names of Charles Mendi and Bankole Coker along with Mrs Esther Sarr, are closely identified with those pioneering ventures. In 1967 Sister Blyth Brown was stationed at Marakissa and a clinic was established, with a nutrition unit added in the 1980's. Further clinics were added at Sifoe, Jiboroh, Sohm and Makumbaya and currently a team of nurses, headed by Sister Linda Donglong, staff these five clinics throughout the year seeing an average of 300 outpatients each week for ante natal consulation and malaria related illnesses along with every sort of medical need presented at the clinics, which are the only source of medical assistance accessible for most of the patients.

It was in 1994 that the need for the provision of dental care in the Kombo Western Division was identified and for a short period, in 1998, a dentist, Pamela Esangbedo came once a fortnight.

Dental services have been a main area of medical work supported by Trinity in the past few yeras. Follow the link at the top of the page for more details of the developments that have taken place.

Water supply

A well or bore hole needs to be created in order that a reliable water supply is provided and there are still many other needs for the improvement of the Medical Services — including that of a reliable 4 wheel drive vehicle to transport the nurses to the Clinics which are all in rural areas.