By Bill W. Cooper
Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh, has raised serious concerns regarding the allocation of funds to the Emirates Hospital situated in Gbarpolu County in the approved Fiscal Year 2024 budget.
According to Sen. Konneh, the hospital was allocated US$350,000 but only received a meagre US$37,000, a mere 10.6 percent, thus leaving a staggering US$313,000 unaccounted for amidst the many challenges facing the hospital.
It can be recalled that former President George Weah, in December of 2022, dedicated and commissioned the state-of-the-art Emirates Hospital in Bopolu City, Gbarpolu County, thus praising the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his effort to improve the health sector in Liberia.
The Emirates Hospital, covering more than 52,000 square feet and is almost entirely powered by solar energy, contains a 100-bed capacity for inpatients, several operating theatres, a modern laboratory, an intensive care unit (ICU), various specialized departments, and many more facilities that set it apart from other hospitals in the country.
The Emirates Hospital is a Milestones for Western Liberia, covering counties like Gbarpolu, Bomi, and Grand Cape Mount County, which have struggled with poor healthcare facilities over the years.
However, since the opening of the facility, there have been a series of complaints from both local and political pundits about the government’s limited support towards the facility, leaving thousands of Liberians in search of affordable and quality healthcare services.
Established to provide quality medical services to the Liberian populace, the hospital has also faced numerous challenges, including inadequate funding, staffing shortages, and a lack of essential medical supplies.
However, the US$350,000 allocation in the FY2024 budget was seen as a critical lifeline for the hospital, aimed at improving its services and expanding its capacity to cater to the growing healthcare needs of the community.
But during Tuesday, February 4, 2025, regular session, the Gbarpolu County Senator took to the floor to express his dismay over last year’s budgetary allocation to Emirates Hospital and his constituents.
He stated, “It is unacceptable that a hospital, which should play a vital role in our healthcare system, has been shortchanged to the tune of US$313,000. This is a matter of public interest, and we must get to the bottom of this issue.”
In his communication to the Senate, Konneh noted, “I present my compliments and wish to inform you and my colleagues in Plenary that I visited the Emirates Hospital in Bopolu City, Gbarpolu County, on Saturday, February 1, 2025, to gain insight into their operations, including challenges and opportunities.”
“But I was deeply moved by what I witnessed. The pharmacy shelves are empty, and much of the advanced equipment capable of providing excellent diagnostic and care remains unused because of the lack of electricity and fuel shortages to fire up one of the two 440 KVA generators at night due to the lack of resources.
As evening falls and the massive solar system shuts down around 9 p.m., patients endure unbearable heat, often forced to rest in the hospital yard on their lappa mats with their relatives, and it is heartbreaking to see our people in such distress,” he lamented.
According to Sen. Konneh, the computers and servers that host and share patient information systems with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to review and act on patient care promptly are all down as well.
He noted, “Moreover, the living conditions of the doctors and nurses who provide patient care are experiencing similar challenges. The electricity that supports the water system in the hospital and their living quarters does not exist for the same reasons.”
“It will interest this body to note that last year (Fy24), the hospital was allocated US$350,000 but only received US$37,000, a mere 10.6 percent, and now in FY25, that appropriation has also been drastically slashed to just US$150,000, a 57 per cent decrease.
Pro-temp and colleagues, there are countless stories of the struggle and resilience of doctors, nurses, patients, and their families in our hospitals and health facilities nationwide that cannot be told in a single letter,” he explained.
Sen. Konneh also revealed that the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Monrovia, Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town, 14 Military Hospital in Margibi, C. H. Rennie Hospital in Kakata, Jackson F. Doe Hospital in Tappita, Tellawoyen Hospital in Voinjama, and Government Hospitals in Tubmanburg, Robertsport, Buchanan, Cestos City, Greenville, Harper, and Gbarnga are all experiencing the same problem.
He further disclosed that last year, he wrote several communications on the struggle of healthcare facilities nationwide that were sent to the Committee on Health, but stated, “Unfortunately, the Committee made very little progress because the bureaucracies of both institutions continue to create unnecessary bottlenecks for the disbursement of resources to our health centers, threatening the lives of our citizens seeking care.”
He maintained, “So, to help us understand the reason for the drastic slash in the Emirates Hospital’s appropriation and the slow or lack of disbursement of funds to health facilities nationwide, I humbly implore you and the Plenary to have the Ministers of Finance and Health appear before the Committee of a Whole on Thursday, February 6, 2025.”
“Liberians are struggling across the nation. Please bring the ministers to the plenary to tell Senators about the situation at our health facilities nationwide, supported by disbursement details from the Ministry of Finance and delivery records of medicines and medical supplies from the Ministry of Health.
Pro-temp, I also urge you and my colleagues, with a compassionate heart, to consider restoring Emirates Hospital’s appropriation to its FY24 level to ensure that this remarkable facility, which plays such a vital role in delivering healthcare to our fellow citizens in Gbarpolu and Western Liberia, does not fall into disrepair due to lack of governmental support,” Sen. Konneh concluded.
