The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice welcomes the Ministry of Health’s announcement that it has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Ebrima Gassama at the Brikama health facility. While we welcome this decision, we are concerned that the Ministry did not initiate an investigation immediately after the incident. An investigation should have been the immediate and standard institutional response to a death occurring under medical care, particularly where serious questions have been raised about the circumstances surrounding the death. It is unfortunate that it took several days, and significant public pressure, before the Ministry announced an investigation.
We are equally concerned by the statement issued by the Brikama health centre seeking to explain or exonerate itself before any independent investigation had been conducted. An institution that is itself directly implicated in an incident should not be in a position to pre-empt the findings of an investigation into that incident.
EFSCRJ therefore calls on the Ministry of Health to ensure that the investigation is conducted with independence, impartiality, transparency and credibility. The public and, most importantly, the bereaved family have a legitimate right to know what happened and whether any failures or negligence contributed to Ebrima Gassama’s death.
We urge the Ministry to:
- Immediately publish the Terms of Reference of the investigation;
- Disclose the composition and institutional independence of the investigation team;
- State the expected duration and timeline for completion of the investigation; and
- Make the final report public, subject only to legitimate and narrowly defined considerations relating to personal privacy.
The Ministry’s announcement is a welcome step. However, the credibility of the process will ultimately depend on its independence, transparency and willingness to make the findings public.
EFSCRJ remains committed to ensuring accountability and the protection of the right to life and the right of every Gambian to safe, accessible and quality healthcare.
2026: The Year of Empowered Citizens
