Monrovia – Miss Liberia Wokie Dolo over the weekend puts a smile on family faces as she settled medical bills for children at the Benson Hospital in Paynesville.
Some of the patients were discharged but could not leave the hospital on grounds that they could not afford to pay their debts.
Mamie Cooper, cool water seller, mother of a seven-year-old girl was one of the beneficiaries who could not take care of her daughter’s medical bill.
It was a surprise visit to the hospital on July 25, 2019, when Ms. Dolo shoulder Madam Cooper daughter medical bill after undergoing treatment for cerebral malaria at the Benson Hospital in Paynesville City.
Madam Cooper accumulated the bill, which was L$29,800 due to her limited financial strength to pay the hospital money earlier when it was little.
Madam Cooper daughter bill was paid by the Miss Liberia foundation, the Wokie Dolo foundation which is self-supported and involved in women empowering, children education, climax change advocacy and the promotion of Liberia arts and craft.
Ms. Dolo said: “Paying the medical bill of a patient who is unable to do so is one of the best ways I can give back to society. The society needs people like us who have little financial means to help make it a better place than just sitting idle and doing nothing.
“God has blessed me a lot, so I have to bless others, and I will never live a happy life if I refused to do so. I choose to pay the little girl medical bill because her parents could not afford it.
“If I had not done so, the hospital was not going to discharge the little girl; thereby making it difficult for her to celebrate this year Independence Day today with her friends.”
In Liberia, less than 10 % of the population has health insurance, and given the huge disparities of wealth between the poor, and rich, Ms. Dolo has vowed to continue her new-found charity works, which is intended to settle medical bills of patients who cannot afford their bill.
“As a middle-class citizen, it is my responsibility to help Liberians who are in need. Helping people who are in need is only the responsibility of the government but every Liberians, who have the financial strength to do so,” Ms. Dolo said. I do not think it is right for people who have the means to help sit idle and do nothing.”
After the settlement of Madam Cooper daughter medical bill, she was discharged late on the day, and allowed to go home without spending an extra day again in the hospital for the unpaid bill.
In a brief remark, Madam Cooper thanked Ms. Dolo for the gesture which she said came the rightful time for her family.
“My husband and I were unable to pay this bill. What we do for a living is just to put food on the table and never had any saving when our daughter got ill. You saved us from debt because we were going to credit money with a high-interest rate to come and pay the bill.
“My husband is a junior high school government teacher, and I sell cool-water for living. If we had combined our resources, the amount we were going to generate could not have paid my daughter medical bill if you had not intervened,” Ms. Dolo said.
In a related development, Miss Liberia continue her humanitarian independence gestures by visiting the House of Hope orphanage home on July 26, 2019, in Ganta, Nimba County, and donated few bags of rice and other assorted items to the orphanage home as the children’s Independence Day gifts as well as partying with them.
“I feel glad that I have to come here and party with the kids as well as speaking to them about education, disciple and humbleness,” Ms. Dolo added. “I love their smiles and the fun we had together. It was indeed remarkable, and it is the best thing that has happened to my reason. I love them so much and will continue to assist them.”
In remarks, Rev. Mother Alice Jargab, one of the orphanage home administrators, thanked, Ms. Dolo for the donation and appealed to her to continue it.
“Thanks for coming back home to identify with us and partying with the children; however, I want you to continue what you have started,” Rev. Mother Jargab said.