Gambia News : President Jammeh Calls for More AIDS Patients

The Director of President Jammeh’s "Treatment Program," Dr. Tamsir Mbowe on Thursday 7th February, issued and announcement inviting patients into the fifth batch of people living with the fatal disease who are to start treatment on Friday 8th February. They are to report at the Serekunda Hospital in Kanifing early in the morning. The controversial treatment program, which includes dishing out of herbal drinks, recitations of verses from the Holy Koran and performing of pagan rites, has been going on for more than a year since the Gambian president declared that he had the "cure" to AIDS and several other diseases. Mr. Jammeh has said that he wants to concentrate his witch-doctor activities to treat diseases that "cannot be treated by Western medicine." Scores of HIV/AIDS patients have undergone his treatment and President Jammeh claims that he has cured them all though many have been reported to have succumbed to the disease later and died.

Observers say that there is a semi-official policy of covering up these deaths, but in a small society like The Gambia, it is not easy to put lid on the news of such deaths. The Director, who is a former member of Jammeh’s cabinet, warned that there is only place for 121 HIV/AIDS patients.

Thursday’s announcement also called on women with infertility problems for treatment by Mr. Jammeh. He has recently claimed that infertility is among the ailments that he can cure, as well as hypertension, diabetics, asthma and even cancer. The women who are to report on Friday at a military clinic on Marina Parade in Banjul, will be the second batch of infertility patients to be treated by the Gambian leader.

Src: Gambia Journal, The