Monrovia – It was a moment full of joy and relief for management and staffs of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 when they welcomed Japan’s Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Himeno Tsutomu for the Commissioning ceremony of the newly constructed kitchen and staff residence.
The facilities were sponsored by the Government and people of Japan by the awarding of a US$87,719 grant through the Grassroots Human Security Project (GGHSP).
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Tsutomu said the Japanese Government was delighted to support the hospital through the GGHSP grant owing to the meaningful and sustainable impact it will have on the population through proper healthcare delivery.
In addition, he said the grant was awarded based on the existing mutual friendship between the people of Liberia and Japan over the years and called on the hospital’s management to take ownership and proper care of the facilities for their long term use.
“Although Japan is far away from you, it is a nice country with nice people like you. Therefore, we have good friendship and this has come from the people of Japan to help Liberia,” Ambassador Tsutomu said.
“The people of Japan are more motivated to support when they know that whatever they do is good and sustainable. This is the time now that you begin to use it, and please maintain it because sustainability is the bedrock of the project.”
Also speaking, the Director of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital, Brother Peter Lansana Dawoh thanked the Government and People of Japan through Amb. Tsutomu for the facilities and assured that they will be used for the intended purpose.
“As we are here to participate and witness the commissioning of this project in the presence of the various contractors, the auditing firm, the staff and the press, I want to assure your Excellency Sir, that we, the Staff and Management of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital Monrovia, Liberia are committed in ensuring that these two facilities shall be maintained effectively to serve the purpose for which they were erected,” Bro. Dawoh said in a brief remarks during the Commissioning ceremony at the hospital’s compound.
According to him, the project was designed and submitted to the Japanese Embassy in line with the goals of the strategic plan of the hospital and taking into consideration the current demands of the patients in having access to a healthcare provider at any given time.
For his part, the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. R. Omeonga Senga said, in the wake of the expansion of the hospital, the newly constructed bungalows now, will give management the opportunity to hire more qualified doctors. His department, Dr. Senga noted, is the biggest beneficiary of the facilities as they will now solve some of the problems of staffs’ housing, and provide a clean and healthy environment for preparing patients’ food.
“Housing in Monrovia is a big problem for our staff. And in the wake of the expansion of the hospital, acquiring this bungalow is a biggest contribution your government has made to our hospital. We thank you from the bottom of our heart for giving us that housing unit for our staff,” he extolled.
Meanwhile, the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital is a premier healthcare provider in Liberia that has been offering services to the people of Liberia irrespective of their tribe, religion and political affiliation for 58 years. In addition, the hospital has been offering employment to young and dynamic Liberians, thereby empowering them to live a life of responsibility and self-reliance. As mentioned by the Hospital Director Dawoh, the hospital currently has a 120 bed capacity and 160 staff while treating approximately 25,000 patients per year. Services are provided by a range of specialist and generalist doctors and nurses who are either Liberians or international personnel, including emergency and trauma care, internal medicine, paediatrics, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology and primary health care including PMTCT, HIV care, antenatal and vaccinations.
On the other hand, the Embassy of Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) was launched to meet the diversifying needs of developing countries. The Embassy on its official website noted that by human security, GGHSP prioritizes projects that broadly encompass social, environmental, economic, and health concerns, and seeks to provide satisfaction and basic human needs for all. GGHSP targets areas that aim to improve human security covering basic education, primary health care, water & sanitation, and agriculture.