🇬🇲 Gambia Healthcare Guide
Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital in Banjul is the main public facility, and the Medical Research Council clinic provides good care for a small country. The Gambia is compact and distances to care are short, but facilities are limited and medication supply can be inconsistent. Carrying your full medication supply and having your medical summary saved and accessible means you're not dependent on local pharmacy stock, which is the main practical concern for visitors in a country where English is widely spoken in the healthcare system.
Quick facts
- Emergency number: 112
- Healthcare system: mixed
- Average GP visit: $15 USD
- EHIC/GHIC accepted: No
- Language barrier: medium
Healthcare overview
Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH, now Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital) in Banjul is The Gambia’s main public hospital. The Gambia’s small size means most of the country is within 2–3 hours of Banjul. The tourist areas along the Atlantic coast (Kololi, Kotu, Senegambia) have small clinics. The Medical Research Council (MRC) facility in Fajara, operated by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, provides research-grade care in some areas.
MRC Fajara facility
The MRC unit in Fajara provides research-grade care in infectious disease and child health. It is one of The Gambia’s most reliable medical facilities.
Compact country
The Gambia’s small size means Banjul’s hospitals are within 2–3 hours of almost anywhere in the country.
Vaccinations
Required
- Yellow Fever
Recommended
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Typhoid
- Malaria prophylaxis
- Meningitis
- Rabies
Prescriptions and pharmacies
Banjul and the coastal tourist areas have pharmacies stocking basic medications. Prices are low. Upcountry areas have limited pharmacy access. Carry your full supply for travel beyond the Greater Banjul area.
Tourist area pharmacy access
Pharmacies in the Senegambia strip and Kololi stock common medications. For anything specialist, Banjul or Dakar is the source.
Tips for travellers
EFSTH provides basic specialist care. For complex conditions, Dakar (Senegal, 4 hours by road or 30 minutes by air) offers significantly stronger specialist capabilities. Having your treatment plan accessible in English helps Gambian providers continue your care, as English is the medical documentation language.
Dakar proximity
Dakar (Senegal) is 4 hours by road and offers West Africa’s strongest Francophone specialist hospitals, though documentation there is in French.