…Senator Numene T. H. Bartekwa Speaks Out On Death Toll in Liberia
By: Leila B. Gbati
Grand Kru Senator Numene T. H. Bartekwa is calling on the plenary of the Liberia Senate to add to the National Health Law portions demanding every clinic, health center, and referral hospital receive emergency patients between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
In a communication to plenary on Tuesday, Senator Bartekwa said it is the responsibility of hospitals to apply all medical efforts to stabilize a patient and work with the family of the patient before arranging a referral.
Grand Kru Senator said no health facility should reject a patient on claim of ‘no bed’ unless that facility is already closed.
He further said the refusal of hospitals and clinics to accept patients on the grounds of “no beds” is causing the huge deaths of several citizens with minor cases that could be easily managed by those institutions.
“As soon as a patient is turned away by more than two medical centers that are far apart in distance, the patient will definitely lose hope and eventually die in the process,” he said.
According to him, every clinic, health center, and referral hospital should have a requirement for a certain number of reserve camp beds in different sizes to accommodate emergency patients.
Senator Bartekwa said it was necessary that health facilities stabilize patients and refer them the following day if necessary.
He indicated that if the proposal is included in the National Health Law before the Senate, medical institutions will begin to adhere to it.
He said the huge number of unnecessary deaths that are currently being experienced in the country will greatly decrease.
The communication has been sent to the Committee on Health to report to plenary in one week.
