GUINEA-BISSAU—The ECOWAS Commission Amazons, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Stabilisation Mission in Guinea-Bissau, has donated medical equipment to the Hospital of Bula in Guinea-Bissau.
The donation is geared to help strengthen the healthcare services, patient care, and essential medical services given at Bula Hospital.
The Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, Her Excellency Mrs. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, who was represented by the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Guinea-Bissau, Professor Hamidou Boly.
Prof. Boly noted that the ECOWAS Commission had been very active in assisting the citizens of the region, particularly in healthcare, as demonstrated by a standby military medical contingent from Cote D’Ivoire.
Prof. Boly also pointed out the various interventions of the Commission in partnership with the Government of Guinea-Bissau to improve the conditions of women and children including the vulnerable population in the country.
In his remarks, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Dr. Dionsio Cumba, expressed gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission Amazons for the items donated and indicated that they were critically needed.
Dr. Cumba also asked for further funding for the hospital to help it manage the growing difficulties in providing healthcare.
The Minister pledged that the donated medical equipment will be put to good use for the communities and beyond.
The donation included cutting-edge medical equipment, advanced diagnostic tools, therapeutic devices, monitoring systems, and other essential medical equipment.
In addition to the equipment donation, the ECOWAS Amazons renovated the hospital building, further enhancing the infrastructure and creating a conducive environment for both patients and medical staff.
As a result of this contribution, Bula Hospital will be better equipped to meet the healthcare requirements of its community and its patients.
Guinea Bissau strides in healthcare despite rocky political landscape
The United Nations Development Programme reports that the nation of Guinea Bissau achieved its independence in 1973 but remains one of the most impoverished countries in the world, ranking 178th on the UNDPs Human Development Index.
Moreover, health in Guinea-Bissau is a complex issue as more than two-thirds of the country’s population lives in poverty.
Today, Guinea-Bissau struggles with providing quality health services to its citizens and the country spends an average of just US$91 per person per year on healthcare.
The Borgen Project infers that international aid could provide the country with an opportunity to modernize and expand its healthcare system.
The current ECOWAS stabilization force to Guinea Bissau was deployed to the country in February 2022 after the country was thrown into turmoil when its president escaped a coup attempt in February.
The Guinea-Bissau Stabilisation Support Mission comprises some 600 troops from Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Ghana, according to the ECOWAS bloc.
The 15-nation bloc announced in February that it would deploy the force, a few days after President Umaru Sissoco Embalo survived what he called an assassination attempt by drug traffickers.
The tiny former Portuguese colony on the coast of West Africa is known as a major transit point for Latin American cocaine headed for Europe.
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