Ganta, Nimba County – FrontPageAfrica has gathered that several pieces of medical equipment from the Esther and Jereline Medical Hospital in Ganta have been allegedly looted by the Administrator, Mr. Victor W. Kpaiseh.
By Franklin Doloquee, Nimba [0775010549/0886696939]
The hospital owned by Representative Jeremiah Koung of district 1, has been operated as a private health facility. Before the alleged looting of its equipment, it added to the Ganta United Methodist Hospital as the two major health facilities in Ganta City.
It became rumored sometimes ago that the Nimba County lawmaker and the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Health, had entered into an agreement for government to take over the running of the hospital for the next 10 years.
FrontPageAfrica has gathered that when news of the takeover began to spread, while it is not yet official, several surgical equipment/machines and other items, including beds weree allegedly been looted by Mr. Kpaiseh. Some of the looted items are said to have been taken to a scrap buying center near the building hosting the Ganta City Corporation.
According to reports, three senior staff of the hospital, including the Head of Nursing Services, Madam Linda Troseh and the Administrator, Mr. Victor W.Kpaiseh, reportedly took 56 ice boxes from the hospital and sold them to scrap dealers.
Madam Troseh couldn’t be reached for comments. She didn’t answer her phone neither did she respond to several calls and a text messages set to her.
According to an insider at the Esther and Jereline Hospital, the act is intended to get the hospital emptied of equipment so that when government takes over, it can buy equipment for use at the hospital.
Speaking to FrontPageAfrica, the Chief Medical Officer at the Hospital, Dr. Peter Matthew George, distanced himself from the allegations stating that he only focuses in the operation rooms of the hospital and if there is any concern as such the Administrator should be contacted. “I was brought here to focus on operation area of the hospital. So, please get to the Administrator and he will be able to explain to you more about this report that you have gathered,” Dr. George said.
When contacted, Mr. Kpaiseh, who has been accused of looting the equipment, said he will respond at a later time.
The proprietor of the hospital, Representative Jeremiah Koung, however, said those equipment and other materials that are reported to have been looted from the hospital, are old and were no longer useful to the hospital.
He said the information about his administrator, who is also one of his campaign managers for his senatorial ambition is false and misleading.
In addition to the reported looting of the facility, this newspaper also gathered that since January 2020 workers at the hospital have not been paid their salaries for five months and they have reached a consensus to halt activities until their salaries are paid.
The administration has accordingly promised the aggrieved health workers that when government takes over the hospital they will be given the first preference as employees.
Some workers who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of losing their jobs accused Mr. Kpaiseh of favoritism.
According to the aggrieved workers, Kpaiseh brings and puts into positions most of his Inland Church members who do not know the job well.
According to the insiders, Representative Koung is cultivating the Inland Churches that are widely spread in districts 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 that are dominated by the Gio ethnic group, and Kpaiseh is one of the main persons Representative Koung is using to run his campaign.
Meanwhile, Police in Ganta, Nimba County has launched an investigation into the recent burglary that occur at BANJAK INC Frozen Food Center on the Ganta-Saclepea highway were criminals allegedly entered the cold storage and took over L$1 million with over US$6,000.
Several private security officers from the ELI Guard Service owned by defeated Representative candidate of District 2, Mr. Pious Dolo, are undergoing investigation over the incident.