Low salaries and poor working conditions are forcing more doctors to leave public hospitals and health centres to work in private clinics in the Greater Banjul Area.

An insider at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare revealed to What's On-Gambia: “The doctors in the public health sector are leaving because the government is reluctant to improve anything."

He added: "Private clinics and the Medical Research Council (MRC) are offering them better salaries."

US-based Gambian, Karamba Touray on Sunday disclosed on Facebook that the public healthcare system is in desperate need of doctors.

He wrote: "There is not a single doctor or hospital in all of CRR north. 96,703 residents are served by a handful of nurses and orderlies in shabby “clinics”. Folks are dying in their homes."

One of his followers, Kumba Daffeh commented: “This is true; I have witnessed people dying for things they shouldn’t die of. Most parts of CRR are struggling, a tough place to live."

Former minister and blogger, Sidi Sanneh argued. "What we want our government to provide for our people is basic primary healthcare, and even that is proving to be impossibility. The Gambia has regressed."