By: Dekontee Yeahgar
Residents of Putu Tiama Town in Grand Gedeh County face significant challenges in accessing healthcare services, expressing dissatisfaction with their living conditions.
The District residents, especially women, face significant challenges in accessing quality healthcare services, highlighting the urgent need for government intervention and international aid. “We are suffering. Janjay Nugba said, “The only hospital we have is in Putu Pennekon, and there’s no car to carry us pregnant women there when we are in pain.”
Nugba plans to visit a clinic during her eight-month pregnancy but can’t because she lacks a residence in the town where she plans to stay until her delivery. Liberia faces limited health facilities and a high maternal mortality rate, despite ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure and combat infectious diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS. Liberia’s health worker density is below the WHO-recommended minimum threshold, with 8.3 health workers per 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization.
The under-five mortality rate is high, requiring significant efforts to reduce child deaths. Putu Tiama’s healthcare crisis is part of broader health issues in southeastern Liberia, exacerbated by high poverty rates, inadequate infrastructure, and limited healthcare access.
This situation has also been emphasized by Community Health Assistant Lydia Walle. She stresses the urgent need for government action to improve clinic standards, stating that pregnant women often need to be transferred to staff rooms due to inadequate space and bedding.
On the other hand, the closure of the Putu Mining Company in 2013, following an international crisis, is said to have left a void in the community, denying economic and healthcare support. The lack of healthcare facilities in remote areas like Batterjen Mining Camp, coupled with high transportation costs and lack of basic amenities, affects over 4,000 women.
Putu Tiama Town District residents demand immediate government intervention and international aid to address healthcare deficiencies, including improved infrastructure, medical supplies, and transportation, urging for a better health system.
Ruth Wallo, Putu Tiama’s General Town Chief, warns of significant healthcare risks, particularly for pregnant women in labor, as the nearest hospital is in Pennekon. Pennekon clinic’s health worker, Edward Tulay, expressed concerns about inadequate conditions, including lack of mattresses and building leakage, posing challenges for multiple pregnant women. “It’s very small, and if more than five pregnant women are in labor at the same time, we struggle to provide care.”
Edward, Tulay officer, reports limited resources at Pennekon clinic, including essential supplies like medicines, and high teenage pregnancies among girls aged 10-17 seeking help. “The only ambulance we had was taken back to Zwedru for maintenance,” Edward explains. “We are left with motorbikes to transport patients, which is far from ideal.”
Meanwhile, Dorris Williams and her community urge the government to prioritize their well-being by enhancing the health system, including the provision of essential health equipment and supplies.
