Mandingos Donate to Phebe Hospitals

The Phebe and C.B. Dunbar Hospitals in Bong County have received a consignment of medical supplies from the Federation of Liberian Mandingos in the United States worth thousands of United States Dollars.

The medical supplies were presented in Gbarnga to the both hospitals, through their respective administrations by a FARMUSA team led by its President Mohammed Bility.

According to Mr. Bility, twice every year the dominant Mandingo Organization provides medical supplies and services to the people of Liberia as a way of giving back to their communities.

He said the current health mission in the country comprises several Medical Doctors who have been providing free health services in Montserrado County. He lauded both hospitals for the sacrifices they continue to make amid the challenges, committing his organization to the continuing gesture.

The Federation of Liberian Mandingos in the United States also extended appreciations to Gbarnga Businessman and politician Ansu Sesay for ensuring receipt of the supplies by Phebe and C.B. Dunbar Hospitals, adding that despite being out of the country, they were working tediously to contribute to the post-war development of their country, especially Bong County.

In separate remarks, the Medical Director of Phebe Hospital, Dr. Jefferson Sibley and C. B. Dunbar Administrator Patience Marshall expressed gratitude to FARMUSA for the donation, assuring that the medical supplies will be used to provide health services to residents of Bong and other counties.

The two health workers underlined the numerous challenges faced by their institutions to include the lack of essential drugs, as well as equipment, among others.

Dr. Sibleh and Administrator Marshall used the occasion to call on well-meaning citizens in and out of Liberia to see the need to assist the two biggest health facilities in the county, noting that the institutions cannot survive without the support of citizens.

The Phebe Hospital was seriously hit in recent times, after its Medical Director, Dr. Garfi Williams resigned because he was frustrated by the poor handling of the hospital by government.

“Sometimes, you need to test people to know which blood they need before infusing new blood; but they die because we don’t have the necessary equipment here to do such test. I’m no longer able to work under such condition,” Dr. Williams stated.

Many in Bong County feel very uncomfortable to be treated at the Phebe Hospital due to poor services because of the lack of drugs and laboratory facilities. Despite being established by the Lutheran and Episcopal Churches, the actual status of the hospital has become a conflicting issue in recent times, especially with the involvement of government. The churches seem not to be supporting the hospital any more for years now.

The hospital receives little more than 300,000.00 as subsidy from the Government of Liberia annually. Workers and some administrators have argued that the current status of the hospital needed to be made clear considering that fact that some workers receive salaries from the government, while others are paid by the hospital.

Hospital authorities have argued that the subsidy provided by the government was less than enough to run the hospital and continue to call for increment in their subsidy.