Health minister lauds Carter Center

Health Minister Walter Gwenigale has commended the Carter Center for the training of several mental health workers in Liberia. Minister Gwenigale said with more than six hundred health facilities around the country, the ministry was looking forward to the assignment of mental health workers across the country.

The Liberian Health Minister emphasized that the area of mental health was of major concern to the government as included in the basic package of health services.

Minister Gwenigale was speaking last weekend at the Phebe hospital and the School of Nursing in Bong County when the Carter Center and the ministry graduated twenty-three persons from cohort six of its mental health program.

The minister also admonished the new graduates to perform their duties according to the oath taken and not to abandon their patients. Minister Gwenigale disclosed that the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had some money to assist rural health training institutions across the country.

“For some of you, this is your second time taking an oath not to abandon your patients; but we hope to see you living up to your commitment,” he stated In her congratulatory message, Former United States First Lady Rosalyn Carter commended the mental health clinicians for the bold step taken.

In her message read by Consuelo Campbell, the former US First Lady committed herself to supporting mental health activities in Liberia, expressing the belief that mental health was an essential area that needed to be supported.

Speaking on behalf of the graduates, the President of the graduating class said they were glad with the knowledge acquired and called on The Carter Center to continue its support. William Maana assured that they would use the knowledge acquired to assist their people.

Mr. Maana and his colleagues presented gifts to staff of The Carter Center and other individuals connected with the training. The graduates were all presented computers as part of their capacity-building.