By: Laymah Kollie
Monrovia -Health Committees from the Liberian Senate and the House of Representatives on Friday, January 31, 2025, visited and toured the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Sinkor. The tour aimed to observe and catalog both challenges and prospects in the day-to-day services provided at the hospital. The activity is part of the Legislature’s oversight responsibility to the Executive and other public agencies.
The Joint Committee headed by Senator Dabah Varpilah of Grand Cape Mount County comprised two Senators and three Representatives. They include: Senator Botoe Kanneh of Gbarpolu, Representative Priscilla Cooper of Montserrado, Representative Julie Wiah of Lofa, and Representative Isaac Bannie of Grand Bassa.
Giving an overview of the activity, Senator Dabah Varpilah, Chairperson on the Health Committee at the Liberian Senate stated their visit was meant to see for themselves the services provided at JFK and how they are provided. The tour was intended to find out the basic challenges faced by the biggest government hospital alongside successes.
According to Senator Varpilah, reports on social media and the airwaves often give the institution a different opinion about services and how they are offered, as such, the visit was a medium of observing their processes.
“When you listen to the radio or even read on social media it gives you a different opinion about JFK. So it was prudent enough for us to con and see for ourselves”.
According to the Cape Mount Lawmaker, the activity allowed them to see a lot more than they heard in the public.
During the tour, the Lawmakers alongside JFK Administrators visited several departments in the hospital. Places toured were the Maternity department, Emergency Services, Operations Services, Surgical Rooms, Pharmacy, Trauma Departments, X-trays department, Laundry, Kitchen, immunology urinalysis department, laboratories, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf National Dialysis Center amongst others.
At the time of the visit, significant shortages were observed, posing challenges to the hospital’s ability to provide adequate healthcare services. Equipment shortages were identified, impacting the hospital’s capacity to monitor and treat patients effectively. Concerns were raised regarding the support and facilities available for high-risk maternal cases.
While on this journey JFK Chief Executive Officer Madam Linda A. Birch highlighted various challenges undergoing the Institution. Key among them according to Madam Birch is electricity, Staff conduct, and medications.
“We need around 800 to 1,000kva generators for the smooth operation of the hospital. Right now we have 550kva and 350kva generators running but cannot serve all departments here. We have tried getting loans from the bank to purchase generators of higher capacities but it’s been difficult” the JFK Administrator said.
The activity climaxed with an in-house meeting. The meeting which involved interactions between the JFK administration, Lawmakers, and SisterAid-Liberia also led to discussions surrounding the way forward and the Public Health Bill.
In the meeting, Joint Committee Head Senator Dabah M. Varpilah promised to increase the relationship with the hospital and urged the administration to identify key projects that would be needed for implementation every year.
However, according to Senator Varpilah, the abortion component of the public health bill is becoming a contentious issue. Stressing that concern around it could be impacting the bill’s progress, especially if it’s being labeled primarily as an “abortion bill.” A sensitive and balanced approach will be needed to address such concerns, while still focusing on the broader goals of improving public health.
Senator Varpilah’s comments suggest that she’s open to dialogue and feedback from professionals in the sector, which could help balance the various concerns surrounding the bill. Her acknowledgment that the “abortion component is just a small part of the bill might help shift the focus back to the broader”, more pressing issues in public health, like improving maternal care and hospital infrastructure.
At the same time, Rep. Julie Fatorma Wiah, Chairperson on the Health Committee at the House of Representatives outlined how the public health bill is addressing a wide range of urgent health issues beyond the controversial abortion clause. The focus on emerging diseases like Ebola, Marburg, and COVID-19 underscores the bill’s relevance in preparing Liberia’s health system for future challenges.
Furthermore, Amelia Siaffa, Acting Executive Director of Sister Aid Liberia, acknowledged Senator Varpilah’s openness and willingness to engage with Sister Aid Liberia. Regular communication between lawmakers and civil society groups like Sister Aid is key to ensuring that the bill reflects the needs of the communities it aims to serve. This ongoing dialogue could help keep the focus on practical, impactful solutions in the health sector, rather than letting the controversy around specific clauses derail progress.
Siaffa’s remarks emphasize how the public health bill’s impact extends far beyond women and girls, affecting the entire country. “The commitment to bring health workers together to revisit the bill is a positive step, as it shows a willingness to include all relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process”, she said.
Her point underscores the importance of viewing the bill in its entirety and not letting one contentious issue overshadow the broader benefits it could bring to the entire population. Her call for unity and collaboration in revisiting the bill suggests a pragmatic approach to moving forward.
In February 2020, President George Weah submitted the Revised Health Bill to the Legislature, which among others, seeks to address current and future challenges as well as integrate the separate laws governing the public health system.
The Plenary of the House of Representatives passed the bill on July 21, 2022, on the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Health and Judiciary, and forwarded it to the Senate for concurrence.
Meanwhile, Senator Dabah has committed to calling for a public hearing to decide the fate of the Draft Bill.
