Ganta, Nimba County – For more than five years, the Esther and Jereline Koung Medical Center, the primary government hospital serving Ganta and surrounding rural communities, has operated without its own ambulance, severely hampering its ability to deliver timely emergency care.
By D. Franklin Doloquee/ Nimba County
In an interview at his office, the Hospital Administrator, Cyrus N. Yeanquoi, urgently appealed to the government for support.
“We are well-equipped with skilled doctors, modern facilities and a dedicated staff, but without an ambulance and a utility vehicle, our hands are tied,” he said.
“Patients in critical condition suffer needlessly while we wait for help from other facilities,’’ he stated.
“The hospital, a bustling hub in Liberia’s Nimba County a region known for its dense rainforests, mining activities, and remote villages relies on borrowed ambulances from distant public health centers. Staff typically call the G.W. Harley Hospital in Sanniquellie or the Saclepea Comprehensive Health Center in Saclepea, both about 30 plus minutes away by road. These delays are especially perilous on Nimba’s often pothole-riddled dirt roads, where heavy rains can turn paths into impassable mudslides, ‘’ Mr. Yeanquoi disclosed.
He echoed the administrator’s concerns with the shortage extends beyond emergencies, saying without a utility vehicle, staff must personally fund transport for outreach programs and get materials for the hospital.
Despite these challenges, Mr. Yeanquoi asserted that the hospital continues to serve thousands annually – handling everything from routine vaccinations to complex surgeries as Ganta’s only government facility, supplemented by smaller public clinics that refer overflow cases daily.
Local resident, Mama Kollie, a mother of four who recently sought treatment for her child’s severe fever, shared her frustration.
“By the time help came, my baby was barely breathing. We need our hospital to stand on its own,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, hospital administrator has pledged that he along with health workers and doctors remains committed to advancing the facility’s development agenda.
“We’re calling on the government to provide an ambulance and utility vehicle so they we can use it to do the hospital work,’’ he emphasized.
“This isn’t just about equipment, it’s about saving lives in the heart of Nimba County,” Mr. Yeanquoi added.
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