Brewersville, Montserrado County- Making Our Children Safe Again Foundation (MOCSA), an institution noted for mobile clinic services, has embarked on a journey to cater to people with living with disabilities who are unable to afford healthcare services to acquire routine medical check-up to ensure that they are treated properly for some health complications.
By Jaheim T. Tumu
The MOCSA first-ever medical outreach in 2024, was in the Mango Town, Virginia Township, in Upper Montserrado County, where staff and students of two of Liberia’s special needs schools, (School of the Blind and the Liberia School of the Deaf).
Staffers and students were offered and provided laboratory services blood chemistry, stool analysis, urinalysis, skin analysis, kidney function, liver function, diabetes cholesterol , CBC test, pregnancy test, malaria test PSA test HB Test, HIV/ spot, hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Following that, treatment offered for minor ailments and a chronic disease including malaria.
Ernest Sherman, the founder of the MOCSA in a empathy statement, said, in Liberia, people living with disabilities do not have access to free healthcare delivery service.
Few months ago, Sherman approached Jackson Swah, the principal of the Liberia School of the Blind, Sherman said that the passionately to assist people with special needs.
He said these vulnerable and marginalized individuals find it extremely difficult to get adequate medical attention at health facilities due to lack of sufficient fund and easy access to those medical centers.
He expects the MOCSA Foundation to help to ensure the situation is properly mitigated through it’s medical outreach, pledging to provide free healthcare services regularly throughout 2024 to these institutions.
Said Sherman, “We thought it wise to identify with you people. We pledged our support and we don’t want to promise but we know that by the entire 2024 we will have our team here assist your institutions medical services.”
“Our medical team will always visit the Liberia School of the Blind and the School of the Deaf to cater to their health needs because you guys have special needs.”
Swah, the principal of the Liberia school of the Blind, expressed his gratitude to the MOCSA team for the intervention of in providing medical assistance and fostering the crucial to health needs of the visually impaired.
Said Swah, “The gift you are given to this institution shows indeed that you care for the less fortunate and needy in society.
“We are very grateful to you and we pledge our total cooperation to see this dream comes to fruition.”
He emphasized, “It is not all the time people come to do this. This is a unique example and mission that we will join hands with you to accomplish.”
The were over 150 people with living with disabilities at the Liberian School of Deaf and the Blind. The patients were provided hot meal and other food items during the treatment process.
Out the over 150 treated, most of them were female who had special needs. The vice principal of the Liberia School of the Blind, Madam Eve D. K Nefor indicated the enormous challenges girls are faced.
“They have problem with the menstrual relative problems, other things that effect females, cramp, affection of those things come with it. The challenge is that for us to find someone that will cater to these needs is difficult for us, “ she said.
According to her, the challenges are unresolved as the result of limited financial resources to cater to the needs of those girls.
“We have this but it has been years, so many of the time the institution has to look into its little resources to cater to their needs but at time it is not just there and that become our problems,” she stressed
She emphasized, If we have routine checkup with our girls, I can say that we will be really happy and I can say that having a mini clinic being built on campus here by the MOCSA medical team will be highly appreciated because it will l alleviate some of these challenges we are faced with.”
The co-founder, Sabine Sherman indicated that its captivating to be associated with the people with specific needs.
She revealed that the is already specific session for females regarding menstrual hygiene and health in general that would benefit from the routine medical treatment from the MOCSA mobile treatment over the course of the year.
“We have something in our program specifically in our programs that deal with females health issues, she said.
Adding, “I am happy that we came, let me be honest with you, I can see from only looking around that there are many needs but we can address. But we have to carefully look at it and address these health conditions gradually. “
Madam Sherman said it is pleasure to ensure that these initiative happened on a monthly basis in order to have meaningful impact, change and give the people a better health conditions.
Garmah Paye- Kolleh, an instructor of the School of Blind, and expressed appreciation to MOCSA foundation for reaching out then and providing medical help because it is not easy for the institution and the students inundation including staffers.
“Imagine as instructor of the schools. I am really in pain. As you can see, I standing on and my foot is not touching the ground because of the pain in my leg. So I am very glad the they came to treat us,”. she said.