Successor govt’ will be held accountable

President Ellen Johnson – Sirleaf says the successor government will be held responsible and accountable to finish projects that her government started but did not finish, and for the maintenance of those ones that are finished.

“Well simple, we are going to hold the successor government responsible and accountable to finish those things we’ve started and left with them and to maintain those things we have finished,” she said Tuesday, 19 December at the dedication of the National Drug Service Warehouse at Kpelle Town, Upper Caldwell.

The over US$5m National Drugs Service Warehouse project is supported both by government and its partners including USAID, Global Fund, and GAVI, a public – private global health partnership.

Mrs. Sirleaf says she is quite sure people are asking “what the President is doing” when they see her in these last few days going around dedicating, breaking grounds and opening places.

She says her government is taking note of all those things that are being done and the transition committee will have them discussed with the successor government.

She notes that there will be a roadmap to make sure that there is assurance that those things that are in preparation and are yet to be concluded will be able to add the results intended for the service of the Liberian people.

Regarding the newly dedicated warehouse, Mrs. Sirleaf says the issue of drugs is always raised when she travels and makes stops at health facilities around the country.

She observes that most times health workers, nurses and doctors talk about the lack of drugs, noting that while hospitals are lacking drugs, there are private operations not too far away that are well stuffed with the needed drugs.

She says she is glad that accountability and financial system management are some of the measures that are being included in the new structure to ensure that those drugs reach where they are intended to reach to serve the people.

After cutting ribbon to the warehouse, Mrs. Sirleaf later broke grounds for the construction of a new Redemption Hospital facility at Kpelle Town, Upper Caldwell, followed by the dedication of an Isolation Center at the Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town on Bushrod Island.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Mrs. Sirleaf joke of her refusal to break further grounds but says has to break grounds for the hospital project because it represents something that is so innovative, contributory to so many things that “we” do.

“This is one project that’s going to go down in history as one that is different , one that serves multiple purposes, one that will serve the people in the community that have needed this service for so long,” she says.

Health Minister Dr. Bernice Dahn thanks USAID, Global Fund, GAVI and the Government of Liberia for the support, disclosing that the warehouse project costs a little over US$5m, out of which she says government, contributed US$2m.

She notes that government was instrumental in identifying and acquiring the land, giving particular recognition to staff at the Redemption Hospital for identifying the site and making the initial down payment.

At the New Redemption Hospital project groundbreaking program, World Bank Country Manager Ms. Larisa Leshchenko says the groundbreaking will pave the way to jump start construction of the newly improved Redemption Hospital and provide learning environment for medical students and doctors.

“The new hospital will serve as the regional referral hospital for Montserrado, Margibi, Bomi Grand Cape Mount, and Gbarpolu counties,” she says, adding that phase one will be for women and children.

She expresses the World Bank’s happiness to be able to support the important and critical foundation of the health system in Liberia, assuring that it will work with Liberia to ensure that a quality product is delivered in the given time frame.

By Winston W. Parley