Zorzor City, Lofa — An honoring program was held Thursday, March 25 at the Curran Lutheran Hospital in Zorzor, Lofa County, as more than 100 staff of the hospital paid their respects to Mr. Alexander Cummings for making available US$ 5,000 to employees of the hospital few months ago.
Nurses, Physicians, Support Staff and doctors were all present. It was a solemn act of recognition to Cummings, political leader of the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC), by employees of the hospital who had not received salary from government for seven months and were at the verge of protesting before the intervention of Cummings.
“Mr. Cummings, we, the staff of the Curran Lutheran Hospital here in Zorzor, would like to bestow this honor on you for identifying with us when we needed you the most. It can be recalled that you made available the sum of US$5,000 or its equivalence of 1 million Liberian dollars at the time we had not taken pay from governor for seven months. For someone who is a private citizen to make such a huge donation, needs to be recognized and honored. That’s is why we have decided to honor you today,” said Amani Seraphin, medical doctor of the hospital.
Dr. Seraphin said the intervention of Cummings will go a long way in the history of workers. “What you did for us few months ago was absolutely amazing and you deserve all the credit for that. All the staff of this hospital are aware of what you did and we have come here in unity to honor you. Your intervention was very timely,” he said.
Dr. Seraphin revealed that similar situation that Cummings tried to avert is repeating itself as workers of the hospital have not taken pay for the past 13, rendering it difficult for workers to send their children to school.
He said: “To be honest with you, Mr. Cummings, we haven’t taken pay from government for the past 13 months and as the results some staff have been unble to send their children to school. This situation is so alarming and could lead to a protest to claim the attention of the government.”
Located in Zorzor, the Curran Lutheran Hospital is the only referral hospital in the region, and its services extend to Macenta and Selewelleyea, Republic of Guinea.
Cummings, in response, said it was disheartening that professionals and contributors to Liberia’s health systems be denied salaries for months by government, leaving them unable to take care of themselves and their families.
Cummings said: “This situation is alarming as anyone would think. People work for months without being paid and our officials of government are building duplexes.”
Cummings is, however, encouraging Liberians to have a rethink of their decisions they made in 2023 that saw the emergence of George Weah as president. “Ask yourself if your live has since three years when you elected George Weah as president,” he said. “The next election in 2023 we must avoid the mistake we made in 2017 by voting George Weah out.”
Cummings trip to Zorzor coincided with a two-day tour of Lofa which takes him to Quadu Borni District on Friday, where he will participate in the dedication of a new mosque.