Monrovia – FrontPageAfrica has been reliably informed about challenges being faced by students attending the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts, located at the compound of John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia.
A reliable source that preferred anonymity informed FrontPageAfrica Wednesday, January 27, that since the inception of the George Manneh Weah leadership, students attending the institution are yet to receive stipend, while dormitory facility remain closed to them.
The source further alleged that the institution’s administration has refused to provide feeding for students, something that has, accordingly, also forced them to find alternative shelter at an extra unanticipated expense.
When contacted for comments, the Administrator of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center, Dr. Jerry Brown refuted the claims and refused to speak on it further as he was engaged in another discussion at the time of the call.
“What I cannot do for you is to abandon my discussion now for what you are talking about, but the thing you are talking about is not factual. If you want facts, you can come at the hospital and see for yourself,” Dr. Brown averred.
Dr. Brown, however, did not respond to calls neither did he reply to text messages when contacted the following day for further clarity on the matter as he had promised.
According to the source, the administration is reportedly unable to provide other major campus needs, to include sanitary for over three years, which is also creating public health concern among the students.
Apart from lack of feeding and household needs, the source alleged that TNIMA administration has since “refused to give students their US$100 stipend due them over the years.
The source further stated that students have continuously engaged the TNIMA administration on the matter, but the institution remains tightlipped on the matter.
“The people are not feeding us anymore and they are not giving us the stipend that they’re supposed to give us,” the source said while challenging journalists to visit the JFK Compound to ascertain the facts.
“Y’all try to help us, the studies is too hard for us to fully take care of ourselves. It is not easy. No student on the dormitory anymore, what are they doing with the money? Only God knows,” the source lamented.
Some students who came from other counties to pursue studies at the institution are now struggling with payment of rent, while others are at family houses furthering their studies.
In the wake of these challenges, the source maintained that students are also displeased that the only school bus assigned to their campus is only taking senior students’ home, leaving the rest of students to transport themselves home.
Currently, the number of students on campus is approximately 750.
“During the regime of Charles Taylor, students were at the dormitory, but since 2015 up to this regime, no one sleeps on campus and the dormitory needs serious renovation,” the source asserted.