THE JOHN F. KENNEDY Memorial Hospital, Liberia’s premium medical facility or referral Hospital, is as soon as once more within the information, not essentially for essentially the most thrilling causes it was established within the Nineteen Sixties, however for the very nauseating and disgusting situations underneath which it’s working and subjecting sufferers to. What’s taking place there’s seen as a continuation of the sequence of incubus that span a number of years, primarily for the reason that finish of the civil struggle that left it in severe vital materials, human setbacks.
IN FACT, IT IS no information the most recent developments rising out of the JFK – the brand new charge hike coverage that has the potential to worsen already dire penalties sufferers are used to enduring whereas looking for medical options to their troubling well being issues – as a result of these situations have reportedly been current and even have led to the deaths and crippling of a number of Liberians. Each affected person that went via the partitions of the JFK has a horrifying story, starting from nurses’ unprofessional, don’t-care and dehumanizing remedy of sufferers, superior funds of charges earlier than acceptance and remedy, shopping for of medicines, astronomical payments and plenty of others. A few of those that skilled the ‘actual JFK’ spoke of near-neglect on the top of their medical situations – the state of full breakdown. The loss of life ratio there’s stated to be discomforting.
THE REALITY THE JFK administration must know is that placing further burdens on sufferers and relations via the brand new coverage is tantamount to creating and facilitating situations for sufferers or Liberians to die of inconsequential illnesses as a result of evident monetary difficulties at stake. There are sufferers nonetheless trapped within the hospital, in reality performing features imposed on them by lack of cash to settle discharge charges. A gentleman as soon as confided on this paper that his fiancee who underwent cesarean part was on the verge of being put down from her mattress till his church intervened, sparing him and the woman such scar of shame and embarrassment. “This was as a result of the truth that we couldn’t pay the quantity for the cesarean part or the overall invoice,” he stated. The query the administration should reply is how sure are they that each affected person will meet the brand new necessities if the present necessities have already confirmed to be nightmares for them. There are sufferers who can’t be discharged due to their incapability to settle medical payments. There are sufferers turned again due to ‘no cash’ in the meanwhile of emergency. Why then rising the monetary burden is sweet for the Hospital?
NOW A DAY, NOT a lot is heard about sufferers or relations being billed and advised to stroll throughout the street to close by pharmacies to get prescribed medicines/medication – a horrible scenario that existed and induced embarrassment to the nation. Fortunate Pharmacy reverse the JFK was the place sufferers or relations the place directed to get prescribed medicines – one of many valetudinarianism that characterised the operation and administration of the main nationwide well being facility. Up to now, there are experiences that comparable scenario is occurring however with it completely different firm, B-Kay Pharmacy which the Hospital is alleged to be partnering with for remedy. What’s reportedly taking place is that sufferers who’re billed for medicines are paid to B-Kay Pharmacy agent on the mini cost sales space, and a receipt within the title of the pharmacy is issued to the affected person as proof of cost earlier than medicines he/she obtains the prescribed medicines/medication. That is accomplished primarily to out-patients – those that go for check-ups and are advised the get sure drugs that go well with their well being wants.
IN ADDITION TO THE new coverage that has backfired, these are a few of the situations sufferers undergo every day, and it’s unlucky that Liberians are nonetheless speaking and decrying them, as an alternative of celebrating a brand new daybreak of unhindered remedy, consideration and companies. It’s incumbent on the federal government, contemplating the severity of the scenario, to take instant remedial actions, to save lots of the Hospital from the debilitating incubus and provides Liberians buoyant hope. If the most important government-owned hospital is struggling to satisfy the well being wants of residents, how way more about personal well being amenities or the remainder of the hospitals throughout the nation. 100 seventy years of existence as an unbiased nation doesn’t march or commensurate with the socio-economic filthiness Liberians undergo. JFK Hospital is supposed to save lots of lives; it’s not to destroy them. The never-ending incubus just isn’t good for the picture of the nation.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been within the occupation for over twenty years. He has labored for a lot of worldwide media shops together with: West Africa Journal, Africa Week Journal, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Instances, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He’s the present correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in Worldwide Relations and a candidate for second grasp in Worldwide Peace research and Battle Decision from the College of Liberia.
