By D. Patrick Tokpah, The Analyst’s Bong Correspondent
The Board of Directors of the Phebe Hospital and School of Nursing in Gbarnga- Bong County, have with immediately effect, suspended four senior staff members for their alleged involvement with payroll padding at the institution.
Speaking in an interview with The ANALYST in Gbarnga on July 23, 2019, the Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Jefferson Sibley, said the decision was taking by the Board of the entity in order to save the image of the Hospital.
He said the Board and the Administration is kindly requesting employees of the hospital and the citizenry to remain calm while the payroll padding situation is being investigated. There will be an audit conducted in the investigation, Dr. Sibley assured.
The Phebe Hospital’s MD revealed that the Board of the institution has assured the employees and the public that everything will be done to find out the truth of allegations being brought against the suspended individuals, and said that the public will be informed of the findings of the payroll padding audit.
“We want to assure the citizens in Bong County and the Country at large that Phebe remains committed to the delivery of healthcare to the people of the county and Liberia,” Dr. Sibley further assured.
The suspension of the four individuals comes in the wake of an ultimatum issued the Administration of the hospital by Bong County District#3 Representative Josiah Marvin Cole giving them one Week to resign for what he calls financial scandal at the Hospital.
Representative Cole alleged that Patrick Y. Jackson, the Chief finance; Kerson K. Saykor, the Administrator; Jonathan L. Pewu, the Human Resource Manager; and Jeremiah F. Akoi, Senior Accountant are allegedly responsible for the current poor status of the Hospital, maintaining that those individuals will be prosecuted according to the law.
Representative Cole said those individuals have been getting more moneys from the Ministry of Finance to pay staff at the hospital, but indicated that they have, over the past years, been under paying workers at the hospital and sending the remaining money into their personal accounts.
“I describe such act as barbaric and inhuman on the part of the three individuals because you can’t have people working with you and, instead of giving to them what they work, for you rather choose to be under paying them,” the Joquelley District representative said.
Hear Representative Cole: “The corruption at the Phebe hospital must stop now because it is hindering the live hood of the local citizens many of whom do not have money to seek medication at private hospitals”.
The District # 3 Representative also threatened to ensure the dissolution of the Phebe’s board on grounds that the board is also responsible for the misappropriation of funds at the only referral hospital in Bong County.
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