The Liberia Medical Mission Eye Team has stressed the need to institutionalize the Liberia Medical Mission (LMM) aim to address healthcare gaps caused by the cancellation of USAID funding to Liberia.
In its presidential report, the team also recommends the mandating of CPR certification for all healthcare providers and emergency responders to improve emergency response and save lives.
The team said, “Ensure dedicated electricity lines for hospitals performing surgeries to prevent life-threatening interruptions and implement periodic maintenance of diagnostic equipment to ensure reliability and efficiency.”
“Inspect all donated diagnostic equipment before acceptance to confirm the availability of spare parts from manufacturers. Empower the LMM to recruit professional doctors, nurses, and therapists from teaching universities and hospitals to provide free services and train local healthcare workers in Liberia.
Train local nurses to conduct weekly or bi-weekly mobile blood pressure and diabetes screenings at market entrances, gyms, stadiums, and other public places.
Organize periodic mental health and wellness workshops to address stigma and improve community awareness,” the report outlined.
The team, in its report, furthered, “Improve preparation for future eye surgeries by beginning screenings at least two months before the surgeons’ arrival and facilitating patient transportation to and from hospitals. Request the Liberia Medical and Dental Council to waive temporary licensing fees for Liberia Medical Mission visiting physicians to encourage participation.”
However, these recommendations stem from the challenges they observed during their time in Liberia, which include unreliable electricity, making surgeries difficult, Hospital staff unaccustomed to working long hours, and poor maintenance of diagnostic equipment.
Others are high incidence of strokes due to uncontrolled hypertension, patients failing to adhere to prescribed medication, limited enthusiasm among some local healthcare workers to collaborate with foreign physicians for knowledge transfer, inconsistent health education in most of the communities visited, and that mental health remains a stigma and taboo in many communities.
Meanwhile, the team also revealed that during their visit, their Eye Team did 59 Cataract Surgeries, including the donation of 349 prescription glasses in Bopolu, while its surgical team did 43 Hernia Surgeries in Tubmanburg and 20 in Robertsport.
Also, on Mental Health, Wellness Training, and CPR, the team did 50 in Grand Bassa, 61 in Bomi, 22 in Cape Mount, and 318 in Montserrado, while for outpatient clinic in Montserrado, 1,020 diabetic and hypertensive cases were treated.
For Biomedical Equipment Repair in Montserrado, they repaired the anaesthetic machine at Benson Hospital, conducted an assessment of medical equipment at JFK and provided recommendations to the administration, as they also assessed various medical equipment at St. Joseph Catholic and ELWA Hospitals.
They, at the same e time, repaired the anaesthetic machine in Tubmanburg, as well as repaired ophthalmic equipment at the Emirates Hospital in Gbarpolu, and repaired the anaesthetic machine in Cape Mount.
