Gbarpolu County – Over 18,000 residents of communities are Gbarpolu County are living without health facility and other basic necessities, residents have told local reporters.
“Government has totally forget (forgotten) about us in this camp though we pay taxes, but we lack safe drinking water, school for our children, toilet, and clinic”- Bob T. Karkpan, Camp Master, Jungle James Mining Camp, Gbarpolu County
“We came by shovel to get our lives going,” says Bob T. Karkpan, the Camp Master of Jungle James Mining Camp in Gbarpolu County. Karkpan says over 18, 000 people are without health facility in the diamond rich area believed to be located in Gbarpolu County but it is now governed by Bong County local Authorities.
“Government has totally forget (forgotten) about us in this camp though we pay taxes, but we lack safe drinking water, school for our children, toilet, and clinic,” laments Karkpan.
“And if people get sick here, they get well if they pay plenty money or they die. Medicine (drugs) price here is high.”
He added that people of the mining community are struggling to survive in the absence of a health facility and they are relying on hard work and the grace of God, stressing that the wellbeing of the people in the area is a paramount concern now.
“Government has promised us plenty times to build clinic for us and school but as we speak nothing we see happening,” he said.
“We are asking meaningful Liberians and NGOs to come to our aid in this camp to help our children and mothers and also our miners who are working every day.”
Mr. Karkpan revealed that there have been rivalries between authorities of Bong and Gbarpou Counties over the administration of the area with respective county health teams arguing about the jurisdiction of the area.
Presently, the ownership of the camp is not finalized and Gbarpolu County Development Superintendent, Paul Kimba, says the area is a disputed land, adding that the county authority is trying to resolve the situation peacefully. All local authorities in the camp report to the Bong County administration.
Robert O. K. Reeves is a Nurse who singlehandedly manages what he calls a clinic and he charges over a thousand Liberian dollars to treat malaria.
There are over seven commercial drug stores in the camp which also provide partial health care. A dose of paracetamol 500 MG costs L$30.00.
Mr. Reeves said malaria and ARI (Acute Respiratory Infection) are the major sicknesses that are treated at his clinic.
“Some days I get up to 15 people to treat. For big belly women because of my limitation, I transfer them to Bopolu for further checkup and regular vaccines,” he said, stressing the enormous health challenges in the area.
“I have talked to my friends for us to have one center for delivery services because some time people died here while giving birth,” he said.
“I have observed this on two occasions. Medicines here are expensive because of the bad road, high transportation and high cost of living.”
Locals in the camp are worried about the high cost of treatment which is mainly due to the lack of a public health facility. One woman, Fatuma Saysay, says the cost of treating her children is too high and she wants government to make intervention.
Bad road condition in the area also impedes local businesses as well posing constraints for people travelling out of the area to seek medical care.
Local business man, P. Mervin Younger, says transportation fare has doubled. “As soon as they know that you can sell drug, they will always charge you heavy for your load,” he said.
At the same time, the local women group leader, Kebbeh Mulbah, has launched an appeal for immediate help.
“I just want to ask on behalf of the children and women of this camp for more support,” she pleaded. “We need clinic, toilet and school for our children.”
The camp was established in 2013 by a farmer who discovered that the area was diamond-rich. Major activities in the camp are mining and petty trading. Guineans, Sierra Leoneans, and Mauritanians are amongst thousands of Liberians in the area.
Experts say mining activities will continue for the next 150 years which suggests that this place will be a major revenue generation source for central government but residents in the area are without basic social services including health care.
Editor’s Note: This story was written in collaboration with Local Voices Liberia, a network of Liberian journalists from across the 15 counties of Liberia. LVL reports on issues that are underreported. To read more articles about issues from across the country,visit our website
