By Allen P. Lablah in Sanniquellie, Liberia
Nimba County Health Officer Dr. Collins Bowah has dismissed criticisms that the County’s main government referral hospital has declined, reducing it to a mere “prescription center”.
He said he was irritated by what he considers “unfounded and misguided” claims by some citizens in Liberia’s second most populous county of poor services being provided by the G. W. Harley hospital located in the provincial capital, Sanniquellie.
Dr. Bowah said the citizens’ statements are frustrating the efforts of Nurses and Doctors assigned at the government referral hospital.
One of several citizens in the area, Nyan Yargawon told the local community station, Radio Sehnwai last week that the situation at the referral hospital is bad.
Yargawon said because it is a reality, he cannot retract his statement or apologize to Dr. Bowah on grounds that the hospital is a prescription center.
He said the criticism was not meant to discredit the efforts of any health practitioner as Dr. Bowah declares, but rather he went public to raise concerns about the need for support to improve the hospital.
But the Nimba County Health Officer is maintaining that the G. W. Harley hospital is not and will never be a mere prescription center as citizens claimed
He the local community radio that although the hospital, it has been performing well in administering treatment to patients and performing surgeries.
The Nimba County Health Officer then said the G. W. Harley Hospital is not political institution to be politicized, as the hospital is not being sustained only by government but also donor subsidies.