Liberia: JFK Expands Pediatric Care With Seven New Consultation Rooms

AGL Liberia’s US$12,000 Support Targets Long Waiting Times, Space Constraints at Children’s OPD

MONROVIA, Liberia — The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center (JFK) has expanded its Pediatric Outpatient Department (OPD) with seven consultation rooms, a move hospital officials say will ease overcrowding, reduce prolonged waiting times and improve access to timely healthcare for children.

The expansion was made possible in part through a contribution of nearly US$12,000 from AGL Liberia under the company’s Solidarity Day initiative.

The project was implemented in two phases, with the first providing three consulting rooms and the second adding four more, significantly increasing the department’s capacity to accommodate pediatric patients.

At the dedication ceremony, AGL Liberia General Manager Remi Ayikoue Amavi said the company’s decision to support the project followed a visit to JFK in June 2025, when AGL employees were providing assistance to patients at the hospital.

Amavi said AGL staff visited the Pediatric OPD during the exercise and observed the difficult conditions under which children, their parents and healthcare workers were operating.

He said the company subsequently engaged JFK management to determine how it could contribute to improving the situation.

According to Amavi, hospital officials informed AGL that an expansion of the Pediatric OPD was already being planned because of inadequate space.

AGL Liberia and its employees then decided to support the initiative, eventually contributing nearly US$12,000 toward the expansion.

“Thank God, today, this is the reality,” Amavi said.

He said the project was not simply a financial contribution but an investment intended to improve conditions for children seeking medical care, their families and healthcare professionals.

“For AGL Liberia, this ceremony holds special significance,” Amavi said.

He noted that although AGL’s core business focuses on connecting economic territories, people, food and logistics solutions, the company believes its responsibility extends beyond its commercial operations.

He said the Solidarity Day initiative allows AGL employees to support projects that have a direct and lasting impact on communities.

“At AGL, we believe that investing in young people and healthcare is an investment in Liberia’s future,” Amavi said.

Expansion Targets Long Waiting Times

JFK officials said inadequate consultation space had been a major challenge affecting pediatric outpatient services, contributing to long waiting periods for children and their parents.

Dr. Okwune, a JFK official, said the first phase of the expansion provided three consulting rooms, which helped relieve pressure on the department, particularly during regular and specialized pediatric clinics.

He said the additional four rooms have further increased the department’s capacity.

“The problem of space had been virtually lifted as a result of the provision of those initial three consulting rooms,” Okwune said.

He explained that before the expansion, the hospital struggled to accommodate the various pediatric clinics because of limited consultation space.

The situation sometimes forced patients to spend most of the day at the hospital.

Okwune said some parents arrived with their children as early as 6 a.m. but remained at the hospital until about 4 p.m. because of limited consultation space.

He expressed confidence that the expanded OPD would allow doctors to see more patients efficiently and reduce the time children and their parents spend waiting for care.

“The impact we wanted to have on the patients is now going to be quite meaningful,” he said.

He thanked AGL Liberia for supporting the construction and expansion of the facility.

New Laboratory Expected to Speed Up Diagnosis

The JFK Chief Executive Officer said the expanded facility would also improve the overall experience of pediatric patients by providing more appropriate space for healthcare workers and making laboratory services more accessible.

She said JFK has healthcare professionals willing to provide care, but inadequate infrastructure had previously limited their ability to serve patients efficiently.

The CEO said the new facility includes a laboratory component that will allow children receiving treatment at the Pediatric OPD to access certain laboratory services closer to the point of care.

Previously, she said, parents often had to take their children to other sections of the hospital, including the maternity or memorial laboratory, for laboratory tests.

Because those facilities also serve other categories of patients, pediatric patients could face additional delays before their tests were conducted, except in emergency situations.

The laboratory attached to the expanded pediatric facility is expected to reduce those delays and enable healthcare providers to obtain test results more quickly to support diagnosis and treatment.

“So now we are assured that our children will be given that special attention,” the CEO said.

She said the hospital expects the expanded facility to contribute to better health outcomes and more timely management of pediatric cases.

The CEO expressed appreciation to AGL Liberia and called on other organizations and partners to support healthcare initiatives at JFK and across Liberia.

AGL Says Project Reflects Community Commitment

AGL Liberia Human Resources representative Lamb Bropleh said the project demonstrates the company’s commitment to supporting communities where it operates.

Bropleh said AGL Liberia supported the pediatric expansion in September 2025 under its Solidarity Day program.

She described the initiative as an opportunity for employees to contribute to projects capable of producing lasting benefits for communities.

“Solidarity Day is a reflection of AGL’s commitment to giving back to the community in which we operate and create a positive and lasting impact,” Bropleh said.

She said the completion of the Pediatric OPD expansion underscores the importance of partnerships in addressing critical community needs.

Bropleh said the dedication was not only about opening a physical facility but also about recognizing the partnership, compassion and collective effort behind the project.

JFK Welcomes Continued Support

JFK officials welcomed continued support from corporate entities, development partners and members of the public as the hospital works to strengthen healthcare delivery.

The hospital’s CEO encouraged partners to visit the expanded facility and see the improvements made through the project, while urging continued support for healthcare workers serving children and other patients.

With seven consulting rooms now available, hospital officials expect the expanded Pediatric OPD to ease congestion, reduce waiting times and support faster diagnosis and treatment for children seeking care at JFK.