MONROVIA – Several miles away from Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, is a hugely blessed district in Compound Number 4 in Grand Bassa County with adequate land space but widely considered as an empty district that lacks the basic needs, including adequate healthcare delivery, road network and education facility.
Report by Lisa T. Diasay, Contributor
Amid several request to political leaders and prominent sons of the district which fell on deaf ears, elders, women, and youths were seen joyously applauding and singing praises to God and their current Representative Thomas Goshua for what they termed as a relief and ‘dream come through’ for the people of the District 5. It was the groundbreaking ceremony of a modern hospital. The district currently has three health facilities, only one of which is fully functional, owned and operated by the Equatorial Palm Oil, a concession company while the rest lack basic medication, testing tool, among others to cater to the health needs of citizens in the district.
Over the weekend, Rep. Thomas Goshua broke grounds for a 25-bedroom hospital which cost over US$400,000 inclusive of medical equipment for its functionality to ease the health needs of his people.
It will also serve as a referral aiding the government-run hospital in Buchannan, Grand Bassa County. The health center, when completed will meet the health needs of surrounding towns, villages and counties in the southeastern region including Sinoe, Rivercess, Maryland, among others.
Rep. Goshua: “286,000USD of the 473,000USD which is the total cost of the project is intended to provide the x-ray machines, laboratory equipment along with an ambulance to help with transport patients from hard-to-reach areas.
“Our district which was once termed as an empty district is today rejoicing because a light has shown face to them with this huge project underway to help our people access quality health care and reduce infant and maternal mortality.”
The construction of the health center was a part of several campaign promises Rep. Goshua made during the 2017 general and president elections.
Rep. Goshua indicated that infant and maternal mortalities continue to rise in the district due to inadequate health care facility which he termed as inhumane to the people of his district.
“One day a lady was being tote in a lappa to a five-hour distance for medical service from our district. While going, she gave birth on the road and the midwives lost her and saved the baby. Another case was a little boy who was bitten by a snake and had to die due to the distance of the health center, those cases touched my heart and I’m glad we are here today to bring relief to our people”.
Citizens of the district have agreed and provided 15 acres of land for the construction of the health center in one of its political districts along the road in the Gio’s Town. The facility is named as the KPOGBAHN Health Center, which is in honor of Gbokpadyu Foundation.
Grand Bassa County Electoral District 5 Representative lauded community leaders for their continuous support towards the upliftment of the district and its people and urged further commitment to ensuring that the district is fully transformed into the best amongst all.
As part of the construction of the health care center, youth and the women of the district have pledged their fullest commitment by providing voluntary services until the project is fully completed.
Rep. Goshua stated that the Legislative Support Project funding of 31,000USD allotment yearly will continuously be directed towards the hospital construction to ensure its completion. “We have told the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment that every year they should direct our LSP towards the hospital because they are in charge of executing projects for that money so our people can enjoy the tangibles”.
Several dignitaries turned out to support the initiative; key among them was Alternative National Congress Political Leader Alexander Cummings. According Mr. Cummings, health is essential to the well-being of all, noting that investing in primary healthcare saves the lives of the Liberian people.
Mr. Cummings pledged 3,000USD as his initial contribution to the project and pledged his commitment to supporting the construction until completion. He urged Rep. Goshua to construct the facility in a stage by stage basis to cater to the urgent needs of the people in the district.
“Let the facility be able to treat people while the construction is ongoing because the people need it like now so we cannot afford to finish it total before offering services,” Cummings said.
Grand Bassa Superintendent pledged 20 bags of cement, Rep. Yekeh Kolubah and Matthew Joe of Montserrado and Grand Bassa Counties respectively pledged 25 and 50 bags of cement to jumpstart the project initially while further committing themselves to continuously support the work to ensure full access to health care in the region. Additionally, the only concession company in the district, LINBINC or Equatorial Palm Oil pledged 150 bags of cement as a way of identifying with the people’s needs.
Citizens were amazed by numerous contributions to the groundbreaking of the health facility, the district women leader Jestina T. Cee and Chief elder Joseph Johnson lauded their lawmaker for the initiative, stating that the long-awaited dreams of several women and children in the district have finally come to reality with the health center construction.
“We are happy today as mothers, women of this district because we are direct beneficiaries of the health care center so thank God for our lawmaker and all those who have come to help us today, and from now onwards our district will not be called empty district but a district moving on with developments,” Madam Cee stated.
The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) has earmarked a Liberian owned construction company to carry out the construction of the health facility under the Legislative Support Project.