-As Ellen Dedicates OneBy Samuka V. Konneh
The President, during her tour of Nimba County, has dedicated the Tapita Referral Hospital, changing the history of the JFK as Liberia’s only referral hospital. President Sirleaf on Thursday, amidst a crowd of more than 4,000, expressed her gladness for the completion of this hospital project and being able to add more laurels to the nation’s health priorities.
The Hospital, which was built with the aid of the Chinese Technical Team, was started in March of 2009, according to caretakers of the facility. Physically, the hospital is constructed with modern traditional Chinese architecture.
Caretakers of the newly constructed Tapita Referral Hospital have denied media reports about theft on the facility. According to the chief security officer assigned at the hospital, Mr. Alfred Vonleh, there has been at no time any incident of theft as reported by State owned ELBC. He described as baseless and reckless reporting of development initiatives aimed at besmearing the good image of the county. He urged journalists to be careful about reporting issues which are, in his words, “yet to be confirmed.”
Another security officer said it was a boastful morale of Nimba County to have Liberia’s 2nd referral hospital. He however expressed hope that this could be extended to other parts of the country. “We don’t have to send our people to Ghana for medical treatment, just come to Tapita, Nimba County,” he said to our in a chitchat.
Touring the premises along with other unbelieving visitors, we discovered that the hospital is a completely new one. At the back or behind the new hospital was the old hospital and doctors’ quarters which were destroyed by the civil war. Serving as residence for the Chinese constructors, the old buildings are wretched and staked with engineering machineries and age-old debris.
