By Henry N. Kolenky
MONROVIA – Partners In Health Liberia (PIH) has ended colorful celebrations of its ten-year of free medical services to rural people.
In remarks at one of the many ceremonies organized to celebrate the feat, the organization’s Executive Director reflected on the long journey of charity, including the days of the Ebola outbreak when it partnered with Government and many other stakeholders to rid Liberia and West Africa the deadly pandemic.
Doctor Maxo Loma recalled that the Liberian government, been fully aware of PIH background in infectious diseases, requested its assistance in the southeast region of the country.
In the years since, Dr. Loma said, “we have helped Liberians recover from this life-threatening disease by strengthening the country’s health, infrastructure tackling the systemic issues that contributed to the outbreak and its magnitude and laying the groundwork to make health care more dignified and accessible for those who need it the most”.
He continued: “During the Ebola outbreak of 2014 and 2015, we helped control the disease’s spread through accompaniment, training, and expertise to support treatment centers. We worked closely with the government to accompany patients at each step of their treatments, promising not to abandon them, and renewing their faith in a previously unreliable health care system. We equipped local leaders with the resources to train their communities on how to avoid infection and contamination.
“We also began working with colleagues in the Ministry of Health to battle the multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) epidemic in the capital of Monrovia, then extended that fight to the southeast region of the country. In 2017, we opened an MDR-TB ward in Maryland County at J.J. Dossen Hospital, equipped with beds. This facility is the first and only decentralized TB ward in the country. We provide care to patients, food supplements, transportation fees, and other basic needs, such as housing, that serve as a barrier to their retention to care.
According the PIH Executive Director, when Ebola came under control in early 2015, the organization expanded its mission to strengthen and rebuild Liberia’s health systems, using approaches that had proved successful in countries like Haiti and Rwanda.
He said: “Our approach was driven by the fact that we knew, deep down, Ebola did not kill all those who lost their lives during the outbreak the weakness of the system did. These efforts have included renovating, building, and resourcing for hospitals and clinics across southeast Liberia, including J.J. Dossen Hospital, Pleebo Health Center, and various smaller clinics in the region.”
According to the Partners In Health Executive Director, their work has connected many health centers with vital resources that directly impact patient care.
He added: “J.J. Dossen has an X-ray machine for the first time in decades, an oxygen plant that supplies oxygen to health facilities and a microbiology lab that services the region, modern plumbing and electrical wiring, and an operating ward with advanced sterilization, where skilled surgeons and gynecologists performs emergency cesarean sections that save mothers’ lives. Pleebo Health Center, which in 2014 saw two dozen patients daily, now sees hundreds. To meet increased demand, we’ve built a brand new maternal and emergency ward Doctor Maxo Loma narrated during the institution ten years anniversary celebration.
“To support maternal and child health in Liberia, we have focused on integrated reproductive health care to ensure quality prenatal and care, identify danger signs in pregnancy, and ensure safe delivery. We also emphasize infection prevention among pregnant women and offer family planning. These efforts have helped reduce maternal postnatal and infant mortality in Liberia. As we work to strengthen health systems, we recognize that technology is only part of the equation professional development is just as crucial. We invest in the next generation of nurses and midwives in Liberia, with our experts teaching and mentoring students in the only public nursing program in the country at Tubman University. Doctor Maxo Loma also maintained that the James Jenkins Dossen Memorial Hospital has also become a hub of training for intern and resident physicians across a variety of specialties, including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and general surgery.”
Addressing the audience in Harper City at the Harper City Hall, in a special remark the Chief Medical Doctor of the Republic of Liberia Dr. Cathrine Cooper expressed gratitude and reaffirmed the government of Liberia to the Partners In Health family for its immense contribution towards Liberia in rendering free medical services for the past ten years.
She said: “I bring you greetings from the Minister of Health Doctor Louis Kpoto and I joint her voice with my voice to say happy tenth anniversary to Partners In Health, it is with great pleasure and honor to participate in this event that celebrate ten years of reflection of Partners In Health Doctor Cooper disclosed during the indoor program marking the tenth anniversary celebration of PIH Liberia held at the Harper City Hall on Tuesday October 22, 2024 Doctor Cooper quoted.
“The chief medical doctor of Liberia Doctor Cooper commended Partners In Health for her numerous support to the government of Liberia through the Ministry Of Health, noting that Doctor Maxo Loma helped to go through the trends of Partners In Health. Doctor Cooper used the occasion to recognize the support of Partners In health to Liberia in Maryland County by strengthening the health system of Liberia in Partnership with the Maryland county Health Team, through the James Jenkins Dossen Memorial Hospital Pleebo Health Center and other health facilities across the county.”
Doctor Cooper explained that Partners In Health services were not only limited to Maryland county, disclosing that the national tuberculosis TB program at the TB Annex Hospital PIH has also provided quality and technical support to the Ministry of Health in building partnership in training quality of health workers including nurses, physician assistants, laboratory technicians pharmaceutical staffs, and community health workers.
She described Partners In Health as a trusted partner who have provided a system in strengthening and building a comprehensive care delivery platform formulating the national policy of Liberia and institutionalizing system changes.
She lamented that this year anniversary provides ideal opportunities to access the achievements of Partners In Health, and to reaffirmed her commitment as a government and partners in strengthening the health delivery system of Liberia today as she celebrate the tenth anniversary in reflecting on the successes according to her there is a need to reflect on the challenges.
Also speaking on behalf of the Maryland County Health Miss. Joyce Hallowangar said Dr. Siehdoh Freeman would have love been part of the celebration but could not because of competing priority. She described the contribution of Partners In Health as impactful noting that not only to count their successes as partners but to reaffirmed their commitment in strengthening the health care delivery system in serving humanity for the betterment of the citizens of Liberia and people the nations Liberia is bordering with. She also described the works of PIH as exemplary and dedication to humanity and their invaluable support the country.
Dr. Professor Marie Fe Rebecca Guetta, vice president for academic affairs at the William VS Tubman University, who made remarks appreciated PIH for its consistent support towards the university in the area of human capacity building through human resource development most especially to the College of Health sciences stressing on the most recent donation done by PIH with a new brand land cruiser jeep that was donated to carried students to their practical and internship sites.
Gracing the occasion was Maryland county superintendent Henry B. Cole Jr., who stressed that Partners In Health legacy will speak for her narrating that the marks are all written on the walls in the loops and comers of the county.
Superintendent Cole expressed his gratitude to the institution for her immense contribution made towards mental health thereby requesting the entity to see reason in providing homes and other facilities of those who have survived from mental illness to prevent them from going back in the streets to not break the system.
The institution started the celebration of her tenth anniversary on October 18, with a soccer match against the staffs of the Tubman University thereby defeating the University three goals to nail. Since the celebration started free will citizens have been donating blood through the blood drive donation campaign. The celebration started with a street parade from the head office of the institution on Maryland Avenue in Harper City climaxing it with an indoor program on Tuesday.
PIH expanded its mission to strengthen and rebuild Liberia’s health systems, using an approach that had proved successful in countries like Haiti and Rwanda. According to report published on the website of Partners In Health Liberia PIH launched its mental health program in 2016 in the cities of Harper and Pleebo in Maryland County to provide needed mental health care. According to the report the program collaborates closely with the Ministry of Health to integrate mental health into primary care, drive innovation through community and outpatient mental health programming, and strengthen capacity of clinical providers and community health workers.
Through the homelessness program, the team has reintegrated 60% of the homeless population back into the community. The team launched and strengthened the implementation of Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) Groups using their adapted PIH PSR curriculum, incorporating vocational skills training as part of the program. Created and impactful led substance use group sessions for youth and adults, increasing availability of community-based mental health services. Through the homelessness program, the team has reintegrated 60% of the homeless population back into the community.
Over 600 patients treated and 4500 clinic visits from May 2015 to September 2017 the report maintained.
Thanks to analyst for this master piece.
Strands Hint Very well presented. Every quote was awesome and thanks for sharing the content. Keep sharing and keep motivating others.
FinTech ZoomUs This was beautiful Admin. Thank you for your reflections.