The daughter of the late renowned Liberian poet, Bai T. Moore, Pastor Jacquelyn Moore Russell, has dedicated a new healthcare facility located in Ben Town, Marshall City, in Margibi County.
The newly dedicated clinic, named “Shepherds International Outreach Network Clinic,” will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the lives of many individuals and families in that community, including basic healthcare, maternal and child health services, and health education.
Cutting the ribbon to the clinic, House Speaker, J. Fonati Koffa, said he was impressed to see an ordinary person doing an extraordinary thing by building a clinic that will cater to the needs of the people in the area.
Speaker Koffa lauded Pastor Russell and other partners for supporting the government’s effort in providing better healthcare for its people, and pledged the caucus’ commitment to collaborating with healthcare authorities in whatever way to help rehabilitate the road leading to the clinic.
He said, “It’s heartening to see individuals taking such proactive steps to address healthcare needs in their communities.”
Giving an overview of the clinic, Pastor Russell said the project has been a long-term vision for her since she started having spiritual gifts at the tender age of 12, when the Lord spoke to her, and right now she stands as an intercessor for her family.
According to her, the instruction from her late mother said, “Why don’t you come together to build something that will help people around the world? At first, we anticipated the building of schools, but we felt that there were a lot of schools in the country.”
“So, I asked myself again, why don’t we look into healthcare? When I looked around, I noticed the absence of a hospital or a clinic. While there is a clinic along the road, it is far from this community, and I believe it is primarily used for emergency purposes.
Therefore, we decided to explore this need further. Today, with the assistance of Mr. Hun-Bun Nathan Tulay, I am pleased that we have opened this facility alongside members of Shepherds International,” Pastor Russell explained.
She believes that this clinic will likely have a profound impact on the community dwellers, providing much-needed medical services and facilities, and said, “I am happy today that this clinic caters to the needs of the community when it comes to their health and their spiritual needs. We will cater to their needs and whatever help they will need, and right now we have a delivery room.”
“We brought some microscopes so that we will be able to run some tests, such as a calorie count, diabetes, liver check, and other illnesses for the community,” she maintained.
Pastor Russell further narrated that most of the time, they hear people talking about typhoons, but it could be some underlined cost rather than a typhoon, “so we will run those extensive tests to ensure that the problem is identified before the medication.”
She also disclosed that the Shepherds International has a five-year plan of constructing a 50-bedroom hospital, but promised that they will do it in phases, adding, “We will first start with the maternity hospital, pediatrics, and then graduate to another level. Come and get checked; don’t overlook your health; come and check what is going on with you.”
“So, basically, we will keep running preventative care. Let’s help one another. That’s what our mandate calls for to proclaim liberty to the captive, opening of prison to them that are bound, that is what we do,” she added.
Presenting the keys earlier, Hun-Bun Nathan Tulay described the Shepherds International Outreach Network Clinic as a major boost for Marshall, noting that it will significantly affect the well-being of the citizens in that area and its surroundings.
Tulay praised Pastor Russell and the Shepherds for the gesture, putting the cost of the facility at more than US$81,000, describing the clinic as a major priority while calling on other partners to help rehabilitate the road that leads to the only clinic in the area.
Meanwhile, residents of the area, who attended the dedication of the clinic, expressed gratitude to Pastor Russell and the Shepherds International family, adding that they did not make any mistake to construct a clinic in their area.
They further noted that they were glad that the health facility has been opened closed to them to give them better healthcare, stating that the effort of Pastor Russell will forever remain in history as the first person to take health care services to them.
