ADRA Liberia donates US$1.2m medical equipment

The Adventist Development Relief Agency or ADRA-Liberia has embarked on distribution of medical equipment valued US$1.2 million to hospitals and health centers across the country.

The donation began recently at ADRA Head Office on Smythe Road in Old Road community in Monrovia, Montserrado County with several hospitals and clinics benefiting. Earlier, ADRA Country Director Anthony Aaron Zaizay had been certificated by several civil society groups, including the Anti-Crime Activist (ACA) and the National Coalition of Society Organizations of Liberia (NACCSOL) for his efforts in the fight against the Ebola Virus in Liberia.

The donation brought together Country Director Zaizay, officials of ADRA Liberia and representatives of benefiting health centers, including Dr. S.T. Doepoe, a former Chief Medical Officer of the J.F.K. Hospital and many health practitioners, among others.

Some of the benefiting institutions include Birth of Life, Jonah Maternity Clinic, GAYAL Foundation, Liberty Clinic, and Saving Stone Medical Clinic, among others, who received laboratory equipment, surgical materials and hand gloves, respectively.

Speaking during the donation, ADRA emergency coordinator, Fredi-Tom Wennie, said the exercise will cover Montserrado, Margibi, Bong and Lofa counties, and eventually the entire country. He urged the beneficiaries to only take the kinds of medical equipment needed at their health facilities and to use them for the intended purposes.

Mr. Wennie said the equipment were donated by Global Relief to ADRA Liberia, adding that they thought it wise to have lobbied for the supplies to empower health centers in the country because ADRA noticed that Ebola has added insult to injury by devastating the already weak health sector in Liberia.

He said the materials distributed will enable benefiting health centers to decrease fees being charged patients, particularly less fortunate ones. The beneficiaries thanked ADRA and promised to use the materials for the intended purposes. By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr. in Margibi – Editing by Jonathan Browne