MONROVIA: The United States Government, through the Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Liberia yesterday provided essential medical and nutritional supplies to Liberia’s Ministry of Health to support the ongoing care for patients recovering from the tragic fuel explosion in Totota, Bong County, which claimed 80 lives and more than 250 victims.
A USAID press release states that through the USAID Frontiers Health Market (FHM) Engage activity, the support is intended to meet critical medical and nutritional needs of the fire victims, who have been undergoing medical care at both public and private health facilities in communities in Bong, Margibi, and Montserrado counties.
Specifically, the release continues that USAID donated essential medical commodities such as materials for wound care, analgesics (pain relief drugs), antibiotics, personal protective equipment, and nutritional support, including protein food items.
“This intervention demonstrates the United States’ commitment to ensuring high-quality health services and products are available, especially in a time of adversity, such as this one,” USAID assured.
Supported by USAID, Frontier Health Markets Engage is a global cooperative agreement focused on improving health markets and equal access to and uptake of high-quality, consumer-driven, health products, services, and information, The US Aid for Development furthered said
. FHM Engage is implemented by four core consortium partners – Chemonics International (prime and co-technical lead), Results for Development (R4D) (co-technical lead), Pathfinder International, and Zenysis Technologies, the release concluded.
It can be recalled that late December 2023, a tanker truck explosion along the Totota Gbarga High at least killing 40 people and wounding several others
The tanker was reportedly conveying gasoline when it crashed and fell into a ditch along a road in Totota, in Bong County, with police saying at least 30 more people were injured in the explosion as locals gathered at the scene.
“There were lots of people that got burnt. For now, we hold the number of deaths at 15,” said Prince B. Mulbah, deputy inspector general for the Liberia National Police at the time.
Another police officer, Malvin Sackor, said that after the crash some locals started to take the leaking gas when the tanker exploded, killing some and wounding others.
A health officer from Bong County, Cynthia Blapooh, told local a newspaper that there were some 36 critically ill patients, including children and a pregnant woman.
Comments are closed.