Friday 11 January 2019

Most MoH&SW Staff Cried Upon Hearing The Redeployment Of Its Health Promotion Director

Modou Njai
In July 2012 MoH&SW created the Directorate of Health Promotion and Education with the following components namely: Non-Communicable Diseases Unit including Tobacco and road traffic injury prevention and control; School Health Unit, Nutrition Unit; Health Communication Unit including Community-based Information Education and Communication (IEC)/Behavior Change Communication (BCC); Water Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion Unit including hygiene promotion and education and Population Health.

Readers could recall that news was published on the Freedom newspaper on December 19, 2018, captioned ‘‘an insider at the Ministry of Health claimed that there is blatant nepotism at the ministry, headed by Dr Isatou Touray’’.

On January 7, 2019, Modou Njai wrote on his Facebook timeline that; ‘‘I wish to Inform you that I am no longer the Director of Health Promotion and Education at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare following my recent redeployment to the Regional Health Team in Farafenni. It was indeed a sorrowful moment today at the handing over ceremony of a Directorate I established with the support of dedicated and committed staff paid farewell to me. I say a big thanks to the entire staff of the Directorate of Health Promotion and Education for support from June 2012 to now. It was indeed an honour working with all of you in promoting health and development’’.

The said post was received with mix feelings among the staff and many sovereign citizens who know the hardworking Director Njai in his role and effort for a better healthcare system in the Republic of The Gambia. 

Furthermore, sources close to the corridors of MoH&SW revealed that under his dynamic and visionary leadership. Developed a National Health Promotion and Education Policy (2013-2020); Developed and finalized a National Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy (2013-2018); Established linkages with the Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA) to fight tobacco consumption in The Gambia; Conducted the review of sectoral policies to include NCDs and developed a situational analysis report on Social Determinants of Health with stakeholders; Developed, pre-tested and produced communication support materials on Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in collaboration with HepDO during the implementation of hygiene promotion and education component of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project; A total of 7306 Village Development Committee (VDCs) members from 912 communities across the country had an in-depth training on Ebola preparedness and response, and were engaged in the orientation of their community members.

Dr Omar Sey
‘‘If there is anyone's life that you have impacted or changed it's mine. Director Modou Njai I am grateful to you for all the support you have given me for the past four years. You and the former Minister of Health honourable Omar Sey saved me from all the harassment I faced in the field as a junior female Public Health Officer. You guys are heroes and great men that the Ministry of Health will ever have. You accepted me in the Directorate, motivated, groomed and exposed me to many if not all public Health functions. I am proud to have known and worked with you. I hope and pray that the blessings of Allah will visit u soon. Said’’, Jallow

Fatou a Staff at the MoH&SW too wrote. Good luck Njai. I am confident that where ever you are your present will be felt by everybody. You have created leaders who will hopefully sustain the directorate. We are blessed to have you in our region and we wish you all the best.

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