Following a high-level meeting with important stakeholders to address the recent disruption of healthcare services at one of Liberia’s main referral hospitals, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has ordered the immediate reopening of Phebe Hospital in Suacoco, Bong County.
On Monday, July 13, the President was made aware of the situation, which prompted him to act right away. The hospital was temporarily closed due to disagreements about personnel placement, management choices, and wage discrepancies.
He conveyed his deep disappointment that a significant referral facility that serves Bong County and the larger Central Liberia region had to halt operations due to certain circumstances.
“The health and well-being of our people must always come first,” President Boakai said. Adding, “No disagreement should deny our citizens access to essential medical care. Hospitals exist to save lives, and every stakeholder has a responsibility to ensure that they remain operational.”
The President emphasised that providing healthcare, in collaboration with religious organisations and development partners, is still a fundamental duty of the Government of Liberia. He issued a warning against letting non-medical factors or political agendas affect how healthcare organisations are run.
“We must never allow politics to take root in our hospitals. Our focus must remain on delivering quality healthcare to the Liberian people,” the President stated.
As part of the the President immediate administrative actions, he ordered the following senior hospital management members to be recalled as part of the immediate administrative actions, pending additional administrative review: Medical Director Dr. Minnie Sankawulo-Ricks, Mr. Jonathan Pewu, Director of Human Resources and Mr. Peter Gbelawoe, Assistant Director of Human Resources.
President Boakai announced the creation of a Special Committee, which will be headed by the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs and include representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Governing Churches of Phebe Hospital, and other reputable organisations, in order to address the fundamental problems affecting the hospital.
The Committee will look into the dispute’s circumstances and provide short-, medium-, and long-term solutions to improve the hospital’s management, governance, and operational efficiency.
