A female Representative-Aspirant of Montserrado County’s electoral district #16 on the ticket of the New Liberia Party (NLP), Patricia S. Jeator, speaking at the 50th Circle Graduation Convocation of the New Hope School of Health Science and Professional Studies, Inc. (NEHSOHS) held at the Fahnbulleh Memorial Hall, Island Clinic Road, entreated the at least 20 nurse assistants (NAs) to strive to be professionals, and compassionate in the discharge of their medical profession in their places of work in Liberia.
The district #16 Representative-Aspirant voiced that not only should the graduates of NEHSOHS remain professional and compassionate in attending to the health needs of patients at hospitals and health posts, but she wants the graduates to see the need to always, in keeping with the norms of the medical field, save lives of patients—only if they exhibit professionalism at their work places.
Representative-Aspirant Jeator, in her keynote address, told the graduates to, at the same time, do their utmost best as they go out there to join their fellow nurse assistants in the health sector of the country. “They made us, the administration and their parents, proud as goodwill health ambassadors of the country by walking out of the walls of New Hope School of Health Science, Inc. with pride, following intensive and hard studies,” Aspirant Jeator stated.
She underscored the need for the public, philanthropists, educationalists and people of goodwill to begin to lend support to females to improve their lives, especially young promising ladies in such an area. As she puts it, “The medical arena is a very sensitive profession.”
The Montserrado district #16 representative-aspirant then expressed delight over the milestone achievement of the at least 20 nurse assistants of the 50th circle of the NEHSOHS.
She voiced that they are unlike most of their age group (young people), who have shunned or do not have the means of advancing themselves by getting educated to give back to Liberia, but sadly have fallen prey to drug addiction, live in the ghettos and are deserted by their parents, families, lest to mention the society at large which consider them to be naughty.
On the political scene, Patricia S. Jeator, who was recently certificated by the National Elections Commission (NEC) to contest at the October 10 presidential and legislative elections, vowed to, upon her victory to replace incumbent CDC representative Dixon W. Seboe of district #16, award medical scholarships to studious students of the NEHSOHS to study at some medical institutions in the United States for further advancement.
She recalled that, while in the US for studies, she encountered Indian and Ghanaian women who are working at hospitals, professionally taking care of patients, while other women from different nationalities were undergoing medical studies so that, upon graduation, they would return to their native countries to share the best medical practices to upgrade their health sectors, pointing out that medical students of NEHSOHS should be of no exception.
She explained that, if elected representative of Montserrado’s district #16, having been born and raised on Karpeh Street in the Borough of New Kru Town, “I want to help redeem my people, transform the district from ghetto to a wholesome society and ensure that it is safe, free of crime,” she reflected.
According to her, she is the face of the Borough of New Kru Town, and called on the women populace, including the youth, to rally their support to boost her representative bid for the district’s seat in the impending October polls, and if elected she will be the people’s lawmaker and not a demi-god.
Earlier on, the President of the New Hope School of Health Science and Professional Studies, Thelma Togba Ajalie, in a special statement disclosed that the school, which was established in 2002, is currently erecting a modern campus in Brewerville Township, which she said is at roof level, to elevate the school to associate degree status through a vote of the Board of Directors and the Incorporators. The purpose of the elevation is to accommodate about 1,500 students due to the huge student enrolment at the institution. She put the estimated cost of the project at US$12,500.
She explained that the aim and objective of the NEHSOHS, as set forth by its proprietor, a one-time Governor of the Borough of New Kru Town, Sobor S. Dogba, is to recruit and train young people, especially females, in the field of nurse assistant as a means of discouraging them from engaging into vice as prostitution and criminal activities, as well as preparing them to withstand future challenges in and outside of the nation.
Since then, Ajalie disclosed, the school has trained and graduated some 4,000 nurse assistants and ex-combatants who are now employed with hospitals and health posts and are making their contributions to Liberia’s poor health sector.
In her valedictory address, Felecia F. Davies, extended thanks and appreciation to the administration of the NEHSOHS for the quality health education imparted to them, especially for the support provided by their parents, guardians and sponsors. She thus promised, on behalf of the gradates, to use the knowledge acquired to help improve the health delivery system of the country.
For his part, the Training Director of NEHSOHS, Ibnyasin Duoko, said the graduation and convocation is the 50th Circle of the training program of the school, stating that about 24 students—four females and twenty males—were sent for affiliation or job training at hospitals and clinics, but due to financial squeeze four pupils did not continue the training program for graduation.
On courses being offered by NEHSOHS, Douko named fundamental nursing (theory & practical), common disease, tropical and communicable disease and medical emergency courses, among others, as courses being taught by the teaching staff of the school.