By Patrick N. Mensah, Maryland County
A United States-based organization, Divine Connection Church through the Community Initiative Alliance (CIA) has donated huge consignment of medical supplies, including drugs and equipment to the James Jenkins Dossen Memorial Hospital (JJ Dossen) in Harper City, Maryland County.
The Divine Connection Church is a Christian ministry headed by Rev. Stephen Mle Wilson and Precious Wilson. It leads a community of believers, who are committed to love and service based in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
The presentation ceremony took place at the facility palava hut on Friday, February 10, 2023, in Harper City, Maryland County Electoral district#1, bringing together local authorities, community dwellers, hospital medical director, County Health Team and administration, amongst others.
Presenting the assorted materials on behalf of the organization, Kwende Howe, County Coordinator said the initiative is in response to call from the management of the JJ Dossen hospital, and the organization’s way of buttressing the hospital efforts.
Ms. Howe said the CIA is a nationwide organization but it is presently active in two counties in Liberia, namely; Montserrado and Maryland and has a leadership structure that includes a county director, county coordinators and volunteers.
She named materials donated as mattresses, wheelchairs, X-ray machines, crutches, electronic beds, chairs and over 100 cartoons of medical drugs, amongst others.
She added that in 2022, CIA Liberia made some interventions both in Montserrado and Maryland counties.
In Maryland County, the Alliance distributed 200 pairs of sneakers to some At-risk youths commonly known as ‘zogos’ and other less-fortunate persons both in Harper and Pleebo cities, while in Montserrado County, the organization also identified with some physically-challenged university students and organizations with people of disabilities with 10 pieces of wheelchairs, 36 pairs of crutches, 4 pieces of Caine and 82 pairs of reading glasses, respectively.
Receiving the items, Mrs. Julia Natt Doe, administrator of the JJ Dossen Memorial Hospital, expressed appreciation and lauded the efforts of the Community Initiative Alliance through which they received such a huge donation that she termed as the best ever in the history of the hospital.
Mrs. Doe assured that the donation will help in addressing some of the challenges confronting the only referral hospital in the entire southeast of Liberia, detailing that the medical equipment will be distributed among various departments at the facility.
In response, Mr. Eugene Kromah, on behalf of the County Health Team appreciated CIA for its kind gesture, assuring that the materials will be used for their intended purpose.
A resident of Hoffman Station Community in Harper City, Mr. Ben T. Howe, cautioned administrators and workers of the JJ Dossen Memorial Hospital to use the donation wisely and avoid focusing on specific patients.
Mr. Howard stressed that patients at the hospital should be treated equally, and appealed to other humanitarian organizations and meaningful Marylanders in the Diaspora to emulate the example of the CIA.
Speaking on behalf of local authorities in the district, Madam Esther Kafai lauded the donors for the timely intervention, which she noted, is intended to buttress effort of national government.
The Community Initiative Alliance (CIA) is a humanitarian, Non-political organization established two years ago with the aim and objective of identifying with people and institutions through support and sponsorship of the US-based Divine Connection Church. Editing by Jonathan Browne
