Weah: “We’re in trouble”

Liberia’s President George Manneh Weah says it is not encouraging at all seeing that government referral hospital John F. Kennedy (JFK) is empty, stressing the need that “we” train more nurses and more doctors to serve the people.

During a meeting Thursday, 8 February with a group of health workers who said they supported his presidential bid, Mr. Weah said when you don’t visit these areas, you think it is all glittering, noting, “but for me to walk there four days ago … see that we are in trouble.”

Having visited the government referral hospital a few days ago, Mr. Weah told a meeting at the C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that he thought to talk to health workers and listen to them to see what government can do to improve the health system here.

“You know it is one of our pillars,” he says, adding that when the people are not healthy … “we’re in trouble.”

Mr. Weah says he met with the health workers to understand the challenges in the health sector and how government could intervene to improve health service delivery here.

The President commends the health workers at the meeting for their commitment, saying he lives here with them and knows how things are. He assures the health workers that everybody will get their fair share, telling them that “we” depend on y’all.

Mr. Weah heard some troubling accounts given by health workers at the meeting and also received some tough recommendations to consider a thorough audit of the health system and prosecution of health officials who may be responsible for alleged malpractices.

A health practitioner at the meeting Mr. Jonathan Hartt requested Mr. Weah to consider thoroughly auditing the Ministry of Health and prosecuting people, claiming that allocations were made but things needed were not made available.

He claims that such situation resulted to health workers allegedly watching “health patients” dying from illnesses that they could have survived. Opposed to claims that free health services were being rendered at government health centers, Mr. Hartt claims that there were no free services, adding that patients bought everything.

Earlier, the National Assistant Secretary General of the National Health Workers Union of Liberia Jimmy T. Geazra says health workers’ pay is very low in spite of the risk they take to provide services, they lack transportation access, staff quarters and ambulance service.

The group has pleaded with the Weah – led Administration to renovate and improve dilapidated health facilities across the country including staff quarters, equip health facilities with diagnostic equipment, provide transportation, efficient and effective ambulance service across the country, and essential drugs and medical supplies, among others.

The health workers have also asked Mr. Weah to reinstate with full benefits their dismissed leaders Mr. Joseph Tamba and Mr. George Williams.

By Winston W. Parley