Report by Edwin Genoway, [email protected]
Monrovia – The John F. Kennedy (JFK) Memorial Hospital has received a donation of medical supplies worth US$20,000.
The medical supplies were donated by a humanitarian Liberian, Rufus S. Berry II.
Barry’s donation to the JFK is intended to help support the hospital and the ‘pro-poor agenda’ of President George M. Weah.
Presenting the items at the compound of the JFK in Monrovia, Barry said he strongly believes that the new leadership of the JFK has the passion, energy and desire to transform the hospital, but requires the support of every well-meaning Liberians.
“I am of the conviction that the management team here at the JFK has the passion to safe lives and with this donation of ours is inline with the promotion of the president pro-poor agenda,” he said.
“All Liberian have to come together and work as a team to transform Liberia. I am impressed to come and give all these life savings medical supplies, because it would be my brother or sister or someone else that would need these materials.”
Berry said Liberia does not need strangers to help in addressing some of the challenges or problems facing the country, and hope that everyone will continue to support each other and country at large.
“We have a new government and the best way to address some of the problems is to work together. We have your back JFK. All Liberians need to come together to give back to our country. This is my way of telling the new administration of JFK that they have our support.”
According to him, the USD$20,000 valued of personal protective equipment (PPE) which was shipped by Delta Airlines free and delivered to former Vice President Joseph N. Boakai.
Commenting on the tidiness and cleanness of the hospital, Mr. Berry said, “Everyone expects to see the hospital environment a place clean. Today, I can see that the leadership has the vision to transform the hospital. This place been dirty for a very long time, but the new management has decided to first clean the place before starting the healing process.”
Receiving the items on behalf the JFK, Acting Deputy Director for Administration, Dama Yekeson-Koffa, praised Barry for the donation and urged other well-meaning Liberians to follow suit.
“We been having unbelievable response from request put out there. We had an amazing past weekend of love. We had some dedicated employees that came out for three days working to ensure that the hospital is cleaned,” Mrs. Yekeson-Koffa said.
With the support of every Liberian, Mrs. Yekeson-Koffa said, the new team will continue to work to make the JFK the place of first choice in the country for all Liberians in terms of quality service to the people.
“We have a very desperate need for these materials and fortunate for us, Mr. Berry brought in a very huge quantity. We are very grateful for the opportunity to receive these medical supplies,” she said.
“Upon taking the position at the JFK, Mr. Berry immediately called to talk about his plan for the hospital and today, we have the opportunity to receive some good materials.”
Items donated include blood collection vacutainer tubes, patient’s hospital gowns, sodium chloride injection, standard ear loop face mask, sterile polyisoprene – powder free surgical gloves with nitrile coating, and sample collection kit.
Barry also donated protective Face Masks, high fluid resistant surgical mask with face shield, DuPont personal protection outfit, non-adherent pad, IV set, syringe adapter infusion set, microbore tubing segment, vented or Nonvented, isolation gowns, BD Vacutainer- Blood Transfer Device, and powder free nitrile exam gloves.
As a former head of Liberian community in California, Berry said, “We raised USD$100,000 valued of medical supplies and help shipped it to Liberia and delivered it to the JFK.”