The Administration of the Tellewoyan Memorial Hospital in Lofa County has been seriously alarmed and concerned about the lack of operational funds to effectively run the only Government Referral Health facility in the County.
Making the disclosure in the County headquarters of Voinjama, the hospital Administrator Albert Kullie, told journalists on Thursday, 13th April 2023 that the unavailable of fuel and operational funds are major challenges confronting the daily activities of the institution.
Tellewoyan Memorial Hospital (TMH) is a government-owned Referral Hospital with a 135 bed-capacity, located in Voinjama City, Lofa County, Northern Liberia that was established in the 1950s, the hospital provides primary and secondary services including pediatrics, OB/GYN, and surgical services, mental health care, antenatal care, and dental services, to Liberians as well as to patients from the neighboring countries of Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Mr. Kullie said the facility needs up to seventy-two gallons of fuel to run its generator for 24 hours.
According to him, even though both the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has provided solar panels for the Laboratory and operational theater, other departments of the hospital are still in total darkness.
It can be recalled that an assessment team from the World Health Organization (WHO) along with representatives from the Ministry of Health (MOH/Liberia), addressed five thematic areas including quality improvement, patient safety, hand hygiene, patient and community engagement, and the wider Lofa County Health system. Findings from the assessment reveal several gaps needing urgent attention.
Kukatonon News (KN) also gathered that lack of operational funds and lack are common in the health of the County and other places around the Country.
KN established an alleged criminal syndicate of a false clinic in Lofa County Electoral District #2, placed within the National budget under the Ministry of Health.
The fake clinic, called “Nyekehun Community Clinic, Nyekehun Town, Wahasa District”, has a whopping amount of US$25,000 (twenty-Five thousand United States dollars), with budget line 253244.
All efforts were asserted to reach out at the authority of the Ministry of Health but to no avail.
Figo Mansaray is a Liberian Journalist for over 10 years and currently working with Kukatonon Media Inc and AYV Media Empire.
Figo, a prospective Graduate at the University of Liberia can be contacted via +231777489052/+231881734014 and mfmansaray2015@gmail.com