PRESS RELEASE
Embassy of the United States of America,
Banjul, The Gambia
Thursday, February 20, 2003
The Embassy of the United States in Banjul, The Gambia, is pleased to announce the laying of the cornerstone of a new clinic at Fajara Barracks which will provide improved medical services to both the military and the local civilian population. This project is funded by the U.S. government.
Following the democratic elections of late 2001 and early 2002 and the lifting of sanctions in March 2002, the U.S. Government has expanded its cooperation with the government and people of the Republic of The Gambia in a variety of areas.
This includes military assistance, such as officer training under the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, the provision of certain non-lethal equipment, and the implementation of humanitarian assistance projects.
The Fajara Barracks clinic project falls under the U.S. Department of Defense Humanitarian Assistance Program, which sponsors projects that benefit both military and civilian populations.
The regional U.S. Office of Defense Cooperation, based at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, worked closely with Gambian officials to identify a project that would accomplish that goal. The U.S. Office of Defense Cooperation recognized that the small existing clinic at the Fajara Barracks provides medical care to both military and civilian patients.
Construct, Ltd. has been awarded a $41,000 contract to build the first phase of a larger medical facility to better serve both the military and local community.
