Treatment of April 10 victim aborted Untreated Yusupha Mbye returns from UK Family fear renewed trauma In a sad and cruel twist of events Yusupha Mbye one of the still suffering victims of the April 10 2000 student tragedy who narrowly brushed with death was flown back from the UK last weekend without any improvement in his condition. Yusupha was wheeled to the private block of the Royal Victoria Hospital where he had been confined for more than a year before a month’s spell at Tayside University hospital in Dundee, Scotland for surgical treatment. His discharge from the hospital after fourteen days and his subsequent flight home seem to be the latest sequel to a mystifying trail of circumstances, which left the student worse off than his family and friend were hoping for. In a letter Ref: 320/189/01/part iv/( ) from the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare addressed to the Gambian High Commissioner in London for the attention of one Mr. Faye, one L. Yabou deputising for the permanent secretary said that an amount of D298, 375.00 (13,750 pounds) meant as Yusupha Mbye’s hospital bill was paid by the former to the latter. The said Mr. Faye wrote back confirming receipt of the said amount and promised to effect payment to Tayside University Hospital accordingly (Ref: GHC/L/18C (EF). However, an earlier letter from Tayside University Hospital addressed to Dr. M. Jallow the chief Executive of the Royal Victoria Hospital had alluded that they were being owed an outstanding bill regarding the treatment of Corporal John Ndure of The Gambian Armed Forces, which amounted to 4, 600 pounds. According to the letter it was supposed to have been paid in full prior to treating patients. The letter further stated that once this bill has been settled Yusupha Mbye will be booked for an appointment with the consultant. Yusupha was flown out in late October, spent fourteen days in the hospital and got discharged without treatment or any improvement in his condition. In an exclusive interview with The Independent just after landing at the Banjul International Airport, Yusupha was plain and critical, saying his trip abroad has been ludicrous for he had gained nothing from it. He said the first sign of failure was the lack of any arrangement at the airport in Scotland to receive him and his escort Jumani Janneh. He said Jumani ended up calling the hospital to collect them from the airport after it became clear to them that Gambia High Commission staffs were nowhere to be found. According to Yusupha he underwent a series of x-rays and scan tests, which culminated in physiotherapy sessions. The hapless victim of last year’s student tragedy, which left more than ten students dead, said this was the only treatment he had received until he was discharged two weeks later when the hospital discovered that only physiotherapy instead of surgery was required for his condition. He explained that upon discharge he was taken to the old residence of The Gambia High Commissioner in London to wait for the next available flight home. He told The Independent that his brother who is currently studying in the UK made valiant but fruitless efforts to facilitate an extension of his stay so that another hospital would be contacted. He said when all efforts failed he was finally flown back to the Banjul International Airport where he said “ interestingly enough” there was no ambulance at the airport to transport him to the RVH. Now he is back in his old room at the Private Block of the RVH, haunted by old and new memories and the trauma of his long-running ordeal as a patient in dire need of medical help to become normal again. Summing up his reaction to this cruel twist of events Yusupha said “I went to the UK with the hope of getting better and returning home to continue school but look at me now…”. The visibly shaken boy who keeps nostalgic memories of school with his peers said his greatest wish was a face-to-face meeting with President Jammeh to explain the extent of the damage done not only to him physically but to his prospects of going back to school. “I have been taken abroad for treatment on two occasions, one to Egypt and now this one to the UK, but both have been dogged by disappointment and frustration. Now I want to meet President Jammeh and urge him to do something fast for I can’t bear this anymore” he managed to say before an impending sob. The mood of his family has understandably transformed from one of relief and hope a month ago to a state of worry and despair. They claimed they were deliberately kept in the dark by the Department of Health in all matters concerning Yusupha’s treatment here and abroad. They said they were only informed of his evacuation to the UK the night before he left while no family member was allowed to escort him. “This is unfair to us and the boy. We needed to know what was happening at every given time” his sister protested to The Independent. Fatou Mbye pointed out that her brother’s eighteen-month confinement to a hospital bed at the RVH had caused a big strain to the family financially and psychologically. She said the worst she and the rest of the family could hope for was to bear the brunt of the same tortuous experience in the wake of Yusupha’s return as the same helpless patient who left The Gambia last month. Yusupha’s family appealed to the government, United Nations agencies, NGOs, the private sector and Samaritans to help end the plight of Yusupha who has been variously described as the most notable case to result from the April 10 incident. Officials of the Department of Health could not be reached for comments because of the weekend break. <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>