Refuge Place International, a local group has donated 114 oxygen regulators to the Ministry of Health and five major hospitals across the country, in its latest support to the Government of Liberia, as it battles the global pandemic. Established by the former Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), Dr. Mosoka P. Fallah, RPI is working across Liberia to improve health outcomes for poor communities.
The organization aims to create a replicable health care model for urban slums and poor rural communities in the country, with the goal of reducing high maternal, neonatal and child mortality rate and making quality health care accessible to all.
RIP donated 57 oxygen regulators to the Ministry of Health for onward distribution to other health facilities across the country and another 57 to five leading hospitals, namely; John F. Kennedy Medical Center, the Redemption Hospital, ELWA Hospital and the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital, all in Montserrado County, and the Jackson F. Doe Hospital in Nimba County, respectively.
The latest donation is second in a series by the health group towards the fight against the novel virus. It can be recalled that on July 19, 2021 the organization donated 44 sets of oxygen regulators, several bags of rice and buckets to the Star Base Treatment Unit on Bushrod Island.
Chief of Office Staff Madam Nyanford said, the equipment were purchased through funding provided by friends of Dr. Fallah and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky in the United States of America following a passionate appeal for support to the health sector of Liberia.
“Some of his friends and partners heard the appeal and responded in money and supply. We have raised the initial Fifty thousand United State Dollars ($50,000) or eight million five hundred thousand Liberian dollars, from the Royer Family Charitable Foundation to support different aspects of the Response,” Madam Nyanford explained.
“We also received donations of 150 regulators for oxygen cylinder from his former University in the states, the University of Kentucky as well as Friends of Liberia (former Peace Corps volunteers to Liberia) and other friends and partners. Not too sure if the regulators would work, they sent the first two on DHL in early July. Once they were proven to be the right size, the donors sent the first batch of 44 regulators, which we donated to the Treatment Unit. Today, we are here to do a second of said donation as we will be providing a total of 57 of these oxygen regulators to the Ministry of Health and an addition 57 to JFK, ELWA, Redemption, JFD Hospital and the Catholic as part of our support to support the fight against this disease,” she stated.
Madam Nyanford : “The purpose of this donation to the Ministry is to support the treatment units and hospital across the country as determined by the Incident Management System.”
Receiving the donation, Minister of Health, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah lauded RPI for what she described as a worthy donation that came at the right time when the country is in need. She indicated that these are much needed regulators for the country, thus vowing that they will be distributed to various facilities and will help to reduce covid-19 and its related cases.
“There will be accountability. This is an opportunity for others to get. We will make a distribution plan to be shared with you. We really appreciate you. We are coming down in our cases simply due to the support of organizations including RPI. And so we want to express our deepest gratitude to Dr. Fallah”, Minister Jallah expressed.“Even though we are coming down, we have to continue to abide by protocols until those protocols are finally lifted by health authorities when the virus is gone,” she added
Dr. Adams K. Lincoln, Program Manager of Healthcare Federation Of Liberia (HFL), said the donations are demonstrations of the level of collaboration between the private health sector and the Ministry of Health to improve access, quality, and equity to essential health services by the Liberian populace.“I am pleased to inform you, Hon. Minister of Health, that on today, Friday, July 30, 2021, the Refuge Place International-Liberia will be donating oxygen regulators to the JFK Medical Center, the ELWA Hospital, the Redemption Hospital, the Catholic Hospital and the JDJ Hospital. “We would like to express our profound gratitude to the Refuge Place International-Liberia, RPI-Liberia, for this well-deserved and timely donation in support of the government’s effort to decrease the covid-19 related deaths,” he noted.
“We would also like to express our profound gratitude to Dr. MosokaFallah, the former Director General of the National Public Healht Institute Of Liberia (NPHIL), and the founder of the Refuge Place International-Liberia (RPI-Liberia) for his efforts in making these donations a reality,” he furthered. The HFL head also assured the Liberian government through the Ministry of Health, hat it will continue to be a very dependable and viable partner in efforts to strengthen the Liberian health sector and make it more resilient and responsive to the Liberian people.
Executive Director Jomah Kollie said the regulators are for onward distribution to counties that are still experiencing cases as well as those with the threat of experiencing. He said the goal of RPI is to provide these equipment at various centers in order to boost the fight against the disease. Editing by Jonathan Browne
