-G. W. Harley Hospital Patients Accuse AML Trains of Worsening Their Conditions
BY: SHALLON S. GONLOR / shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY — Scores of patients and healthcare providers at Sanniquellie’s G. W. Harley Hospital have complained about disruptive noise pollution caused by nearby train movements. The G. W. Harley Hospital—one of the government’s oldest medical facilities in Nimba County—sits adjacent to a railway track operated by ArcelorMittal Liberia. Patients say the constant noise from passing trains has at some point worsened their conditions.
“People are unsafe. We can be lying inside here and then the train passing while the ground too shaking,” Ms. Patricia Y. Begler — care provider narrated the experience. Several patients and caretakers who spoke with journalists Wednesday’s afternoon at the hospital compound complained that they are often disturbed by the moving train due to the hospital’s close proximity to the railroad.
Ms. Patricia Y. Begler — care provider to her girl child disclosed that in May last month, she entered the hospital, which this June 2025 marks her daughter’s one month. “I have spent about one month in this place as a caretaker for my daughter,” she stated. Ms. Bleger argued that their overstay can be pointed to continue the movement of AML’s train with heavy noise on the railway next to the referral hospital — thus bringing a setback to her daughter’s recovery and many other patients in the hospital.
Commenting on her experience with the train passing, she said it poses serious hazard, emphasizing that health facility should be lonely area for sick people, but patients at the G. W. Harley Hospital are vulnerable due to constant noise and disturbances from train passing and heavy shaking of the hospital structures.
This, according to her is causing severe health problems for her daughter and other patients. “I even had an experience with my daughter.” She stressed that whenever the train is passing her daughter’s complaint from the sound and as well worsens her problems.
Ms. Bleger described as “embarrassing” to the patient and caretakers the present location of the hospital. She than expressed excitement over the relocation of the hospital from the railway line, urging the government, ArcelorMittal Liberia and partners to fast speedy up. And one of the good things is that the place will be freed from train noise,” she added.
Ms. Bleger is pleading with the government and partners to ensure advancement of the new facility beyond what it is now. “The patient’s room should have free space. Even for the bathroom and toilet, each person should be assigned to a bathroom. “I am begging the government if they can do it, every patient room will be better. Any patient that damaged their own, will be able to get to them. But the one that is generalized, you don’t know who will go there and spoil it. So we’re begging the government to increase, and improve on that. So the challenges here should not repeat in the new facility.”
The patients and caregivers are not alone, two Trained Traditional Midwives (TTM), Yah Marta of Gboa Gbalasonnoh Town and Yei Saye of Zeasonnoh Town — suburbs of Sanniquellie recounted the negative impact for patients at the hospital as well as the quality of life for individuals living near the train track.
According to TTMs Marta and Say, the excessive sound and movement of the train next to the hospital have at some point worsened the health condition of some pregnant women. “The train sound is not helping our patients and it is not helping the hospital,” the woman said. Train noise pollution is an excessive amount of noise created by trains as it pass through, health facilities, residential areas or natural habitats.
For the women in Nimba, AML trains motion often extends to stress, sleep disturbances, and physical and mental health. They foresee potential hearing damage if care isn’t taken. “We are happy that the government said they’re taking the hospital to Sehyikimpa Town. We happy for the new hospital to go to Sekhyikimpa. It will bring total relief to our patients and they will not hear no heavy sound again,” they concluded.
Now, the women are calling on the Government of Liberia and ArcelorMittal to speed up the ongoing construction works for the hospital’s relocation in Sehyikimpa Town. The World Health Organization has recognized environmental noise as a major threat to public health, with sleep disturbance being one of the most common complaints among those living near railway lines. When contacted for comment and clarity on the present status of the hospital relocation project, key figures of the G. W. Harley’s administration declined to speak to the media until otherwise ordered by a higher authority.
Meanwhile, credible sources within the hospital’s administration confirmed progress, but at a snail pace ongoing works at the newly relocated site.
It further disclosed that three moden structures, including Maternal Child Health (MCH) department, Laboratory, and other are almost to completion, constituting 99.9% of the total job done so far.
A total of 12 to 15 advanced, well equip, and standardized medical facilities are expected to be constructed by LACE – Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment. LACE, an autonomous government agency responsible for implementing community-driven development projects aimed at alleviating poverty and advancing national development goals. Fully funded by ArcelorMittal Liberia, the total cost of the project, yet unknown is suggested to be approximately US$11 million.
