BY Shallon S. Gonlor
NIMBA COUNTY_Scores of patients at the Ganta Rehab Health Center in Ganta City, Nimba County are decrying abandonment from the Government of Liberia and health workers assigned at the facility, thus protesting for medical attention.
Ganta City was a scene of attraction on Thursday, November 10, 2023 where over hundred plus sick patients seeking medical treatment at state run health delivery facility, Ganta Rehab Health Center disembarked from their sick beds, took to the street in protest action, erecting roadblock at Ganta to Sanniquellie road in demand for drugs and adequate healthcare services.
The protesting patients who are under medical treatment for diverse sicknesses and diseases went to the health facility to get further treatment were reportedly abandoned and denied by health workers due to what they attributed as “lack of drugs and poor healthcare delivery” to meet their needs.
Addressing journalists during the strike action, the group spokesperson, James Wonnie explained that their action was triggered on an account of workers assigned at health facility deliberate refusal to render them the needed care with, which he said violates oath taken by all health workers to safe lives above all else.
Wonnie furthered that, prior to strike action, health practitioners at the facility earlier complained over prolonged voluntary services without compensation or government salary over ten years, stressing that their protest is in consolidation with health workers grave concern and to attract the County’s Legislative Cause and National Government to employ workers at the health center.
The protest which lasted about five hours plus blocked transit, avoiding predistrans free movement due to the strike action aimed at drawing national government attention, a situation which paralyzed basic health delivery services at the government run health facility.
However, the Officer in Charge of the Ganta Rehab Health Center, Velerie Guanue confirmed that over eighty nine volunteers at the health facility without government salary over ten years, adding that out of the eighty nine only three are government employees.
She disclosed a total of 285 in-patients and out-patients received regular treatment, saying majority health workers assigned at the health facility have volunteered over the years without government attention to provide sensitive medical equipment, fearing for their lives as the result of most contaminated diseases treated at the health facility.
However, calm was restored, as health workers resume normal activities, while patients returned to their sick bed following a prompt response by Nimba County Senator and the Vice Standard Bearer of the Unity Party, Jeremiah Kpan Koung.
Speaking to the illing patients and healthy workers, Senator Koung vowed to rally government support in addressing their concerns, which he said are pivotal to the safety and well-being of the community.
The Nimba Senator and UP vice runing mate than accused the government of President George Weah for failing to prioritize and give more attentions to the country’s health sector.
At the same time, Former Nimba County Superintendent and 2020 Senatorial Candidate, Madam Edith Gongloe-Weh admonished the patients and the health workers to remain calm as she finds remedy to their plight with greave concern.
Madam Edith Gongloe-Weh who is supporting President Weah second term election meanwhile vowed to put the National Government feet to fire in ensuring that the health facility gets all benefits including employment with respect to the act that establishes the Ganta Rehab Health Center under the Liberian Government.
