ArcelorMittal Liberia, PREVAIL and the management of the John F. Kennedy Medical Hospital have unveiled three landmark projects at the referral hospital in Monrovia: Surgical Ward (ArcelorMittal & JFKMC), Central Laboratory/First Post-war Microbiology Lab (PREVAIL & JFKMC), Central Pharmacy (PREVAIL & JFKMC), and a Dental Clinic.
The three co-funded projects were undertaken in partnership with the Partnership for Ebola Virus Vaccine in Liberia (PREVAIL).
ArcelorMittal is said to have contributed US$40,000 to make the surgical ward modern and operable.
Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, who graced the ceremony, said she was grateful and described the dedication of the facilities as a great day and an opportunity to see the positive things happening to the referral hospital.
“We look forward to much more from this hospital. It is our referral hospital, and I know it has been a difficult walk but thank you to our partners,” Vice President Howard-Taylor stated.
The Vice President asked partners and the management of JFK to set up a specialized treatment center for drug rehabilitation for young people.
“We actually need a wing for medical drug rehabilitation for our young people. We have hundreds and thousands of young people on drugs, and we have no way to deal with it,” she added.
According to the VP, mental health hospitals are struggling with the situation of drug addiction, and she believes JFK has the capacity to deal with such a situation if the hospital sets up a specialized unit.
She also wants the administration of JFK to ensure that DNA machines used to test victims of rape be functional at all times to deter and punish those found guilty of rape and sexual abuse.
ArcelorMittal Liberia’s Government & Community Relations Manager, Michael Wleh, speaking on behalf of the company said AML is happy to be associated with the JFK medical center.
“This,” he said, “further reinforces its association with Liberia’s health sector.”
“I am proud to say that ArcelorMittal has been a leader in the private sector in supporting health initiatives, going back as far as the Ebola outbreak.”
He continued, “We led the Ebola private-sector management group…to support Liberia’s Ebola response going on to COVID, where we were one of the leading private-sector partners to support the COVID-19 response.”
He said the support to JFK is part of “our” mission of partnership, noting that AML believes that a strong partnership with the private sector can help drive development in Liberia.
The ArcelorMittal official also unveiled that the concession is currently doing massive work on the Sanniquellie General Hospital as the concession’s own health facility is undergoing enormous upgrades.
Wleh maintained that ArcelorMittal will continue to support the health sector, especially at the county and community levels where it is already helping with the relocation process of the Sanniquellie public health facility.
