Tappita, Nimba County – Nimba was one of the counties affected by the Ebola outbreak in 2014. The Jackson F. Doe Memorial Hospital, a state-of-the-art tertiary institution in Tappita, Nimba County had one of the biggest Ebola treatment facilities in the country; thus, preparing the hospital and the Nimba County Health Team to effectively respond to the outbreak. The then Nimba Legislative Caucus and the Ministry of Health ensured that all the logistics and financial supports were given to the hospital and County Health Team and even more timely.
By Morrison T. Morris and Emmanuel Gweh, Contributing Writers
With this new coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world, next to Montserrado and Margibi, Nimba is the third county being highly hit by the virus with four cases being recorded and many in quarantine. The county is Liberia’s second largest population with 462, 026 people.
Experts have stressed the need for more testing of people as a mean to curb further spread of the coronavirus. More testing allows frontline fighters to trace, isolate and treat patients and curb community transmission.
Recently, the administration of the Jackson F. Doe Hospital, through a Facebook post, averred that the lack of Covid-19 testing Center at the hospital poses threat to health workers including doctors, nurses and laboratory staff.
The hospital, responding to public criticism over the ‘unprofessional handling’ of the county’s second confirmed COVID 19 case in Tappita said the situation was responsible for the treatment of the patient on a clinical basis.
In a FrontPage Africa April 14, 2020 publication, Dr. Philip Sahr, Head of the Nimba County Health Team disclosed that “since the outbreak of the virus in the county, they are yet to have a holding center.
Saclepea and Kpain Town in Electoral Districts Seven and Eight have been identified for use by the government as holding centers, but no funding has been provided to prepare the areas”.
Also, the Press Union of Liberia disclosed on its official Facebook page that “the County Health Officer of Nimba has admitted to the inability of the government to honor its responsibility by providing food and other needed materials for the quarantine Journalists as is done for those in Monrovia.
Doctor Philip Sahr attributed the situation to the lack of financial support to the County Health Team by the Ministry of Health for those quarantined or tested positive of the Virus.
From all indications, the county health team is stranded and do not have the ability to effectively respond to the crisis. We believe this kind of constraints put Nimba at the risk of uncontrollable spread of the coronavirus.
US$30k Disaster Management Money On Hold
In the wake of this, we have learnt that some US$30,000 is currently within the coffers of the county’s Disaster Management Committee’s account, but the Nimba lawmakers appear to be refusing the release of such fund through the County’s Disaster Management Committee to respond to the County Health Team’s cry about the lack of financial and logistical supports.
We are quite aware that this amount is inadequate for the establishment of holding centers and to provide medical materials and food for those in quarantine in the county, but it could be a huge breakthrough for the County Health Team to carry out early preparation while awaiting national intervention.
It can be recalled, that US$250,000 was raised by the Nimba Legislative Caucus in the 53rd Legislature through the County’s Disaster Management Committee and the county administration for the fight against the Ebola outbreak in 2014.
According to the Disaster Management Committee’s report, US$220,000 was expended with the net balance of US$30,000 in coffers. Some members of the current badge of Nimba lawmakers have confirmed this amount.
In 2018, the 54th Nimba Legislative Caucus (current), out of some kind-of judgment created a resolution diverting the US$30,000 balance to lawmakers’ district projects. From reliable sources, since the creation of the “resolution”, the money has not been withdrawn.
Simply put, the money is still alive and in the account. Amb. Juli Endee, Musa H. Bility and Senator Thomas S. Grupee are signatories to the County’s Disaster Management Committee’s account.
The Disaster Management Committee remains dormant. In this light, we are calling on the Nimba lawmakers to reactivate the disaster management committee, and, by and through the committee make the money available to the County Health Team.
We are encouraging those few lawmakers who are making some frantic effort to continue their engagements till their colleagues see reasons to release the money. We have no reason to say the 54th Nimba Legislative Caucus will not yield to our call.
Keep safe. Coronavirus is real. May God bless the great people of Nimba County and Mama Liberia.