Monrovia – The attention of the Ministry of Health has been drawn to an online article by frontpageafricaonline.com alleging conflict of interest including amongst other things diversion of resources and medical supplies by the Minister of Health, Dr. Wilhelmina S. Jallah.
A Press Statement from the Ministry signed by its Communication Consultant, Sorbor George, wishes to clarify that the reports are untrue and has no bases, rather meant to undermine the national fight against COVID-19 by diverting the attention of Minister and other key players in the fight against the COVID-19 disease.
According to Mr. George, resources received for Covid-19 are properly being managed under the a resources management mechanisms established at COVID-19 Incident Management System (IMS) which no one, including the minister can penetrate, without notice, to transfer funds or medical supplies to his/her privately-run facility.
Further, the Ministry of Health has well established and internationally respected Financial Management and Procurement systems that have been managing resources at the Ministry including World Bank’s Health System Strengthen Grant (HSSP), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) grants and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported FARA grant among other things. It is inconceivable to suggest any such transaction can occur at the Ministry given internationally established structure the Ministry has in place.
Additionally, the Ministry finds is rather strange that a well-respected media institution like FrontPageAfrica will claim that it has conducted an investigation in a sentence and in the same sentence use allege in its endeavor to damage the good image of the Minister at a time she is working tirelessly along with her team to bring the current COVID-19 pandemic under control.
The statement indicated that prior to her appointment, Dr. Jallah and her husband effectively ran their private health facility and upon her appointment, she turned control over to her husband who still has the ability to effectively and successfully run the facilities. Diversion of public funds to personal use is criminal; therefore, to suggest that a public servant is involved in such act without producing a single piece of evidence is mindboggling.
Regarding, Dr. Jerry Brown serving as the Covid-19 Case Management Pillar Lead on Incident Management Team, Mr. George said Dr. Brown possesses the requisite skills as demonstrated by his role during the EVD. The statement further that there is no way that Dr. Brown on the IMS conflicts with his duty as Administrator of the John F. Kennedy Hospital because Dr. Brown has able deputies at the JFK who are smoothly running the facility
The Health Ministry’s statement also clarified that its comptroller is Attorney K. Jlateh Sayor and not Mr. Taylor as wrongly reported by the FPA. For the record, Mr Taylor is a qualified and competent Liberian who should never be denied any public office for his attachment when he has not committed any crime.
The Communication Consultant for the Ministry further clarified that in no way the Minister of Health influenced any vetting process for the CMO of the JFK in violation of the JFK Act. The Ministry further clarifies that the Chief Executive Officer and his two deputies were appointed by the, President of Liberia who is the Grand Councilor to the JFK Board. It is also strange that FrontPageAfrica will only flag out the appointment of the CMO as violation of the JFK Act. The CMO at the JFK is currently performing her duties with excellence and has no consultancy with Hope for Woman as alleged again.
In addition to the litany of falsehood posted by the FPA, no private ambulance of Dr. Jallah‘s clinic was seen anywhere in central town purchasing stationary on the account of the government of Liberia. The FPA would need to display and justify clearly as to how it knows that items and stationery were being purchased from GOL account for the Minister’s private clinic with no supporting document for the public consumption.
The MOH Communication Consultant has meanwhile urged the FPA to kindly do justice to its reading audience as the online article on the MOH was totally and entirely wrong, with the sole intent to undermine the fight against the COVID-19.
It clearly painted the insensitivity of the poster to the effect of the national pandemic threading the survival of our people.