Local Clinic Reopens in Salala District

Following nearly two months of closure, the Bong County Health Team has finally reopened the Togbapolu Clinic in Konaiwolah Clan, Salala District. The followed recent mounting public concerns in the district.

The reported closure of the clinic by the Bong County  Health Team  was the result  of  a law suit  brought against  two of the clinic’s staff  by a citizen of Togbapolu  Amos Weah, who is said to be the youth  leader of the area.

The two clinical staff, Clarence Benjamin Nipa and John Massaquoi, were accused by the town citizens led by the youth leader of extracting parts of a hand pump belonging to the town without the consent of the citizens.

The  man at the center of the lawsuit against the health workers at the time,  told journalist that he filed the law suit at the Salala Magisterial Court  based on the failure  of the  two  accused to appear before the community leaders  to provide reasons for their alleged action. They allegedly sold the pump to a man identified Morris Utah.

Bong County Health Officer Dr. Garfee Williams, on Wednesday,  confirmed to journalists the reopening of the Togbapolu clinic following series of consultations with stakeholders in the health sector, including its partner AFRICARE Liberia.

According to information gathered, the lawsuit against the two health workers was also withdrawn from the court by the town citizens, paving the way for the return of medical staff at the clinic.

However, the  Officer  In Charge of  the Clinic Jonathan Ballah who had earlier complained of threats on his life, was transferred to a health facility in Sanoyea district, while the OIC of that facility has been assigned at the Togbapolu Clinic along with staff previously  stationed in the town.

The recent closure of the clinic created a serious gap in health care delivery for hundreds of people who rely on the facility for  medical treatment, mainly from Geegbah administrative District in Grand Bassa, Gibi District in Margibi County and Konaiwolah Clan in Salala District, Bong County.

Inhabitants of the region have, meanwhile, described the reopening of the clinic as a major relief for them because of the deteriorating health situation in the last two months.

The Togbapolu Clinic, constructed in 2002 through a grant from the US Defense Department, is currently being managed by AFRICARE under the Rebuilding Basic Health Services (RBHS) program funded by USAID.