Four additional nurses from government-run hospitals in four counties leave the country this week to undergo special training in hearing healthcare training in Zambia.
The nurses expected to depart the country this week include Blessing Acquire, the government hospital, Grand Bassa County; Georgia A. Gray, Redemption Hospital, Montserrado County; Naomi Smith, CD Dunbah Hospital, Bong County; and Vanja Mama Kowula, C.H. Rennie Hospital, Margibi County.
The Campaign to Promote Hearing Healthcare in Liberia is sponsored by Church Aid Incorporated, the relief Department arm of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church International, and this is a second batch of candidates for hearing instrument specialists, which is intended to help reduce the disease in the country.
Early last year, Church Aid, in collaboration with its local international partners, trained four nurses in hearing healthcare: P. Magdalene Konneh, John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Montserrado County; Hannah H. Newah, government hospital, Tubmanburg, Bomi County; and D. Iben Porkpah and Moses Biman Jr., both from Curran Lutheran Hospital, Lofa County.
During a special thanksgiving and prayer service for the candidates, held Sunday February 4 at the New Water in the Desert Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Brewerville, the candidates expressed thanks and appreciation to Bishop Kortu K .Brown, who is the overseer of Water in the Desert Apostolic Pentecostal Church International, and the entire membership of the church for the opportunity and their prayers while they prepare to depart the country this week.
According to him, over the past two years Church Aid Incorporated has embarked on training twenty (20) nurses over the next five years, which will help carter to people suffering from hearing complications in the country and the sub-region.
In a special prayer sermon offered for the candidates, during a special thanksgiving and prayer service, Bishop Kortu K. Brown lauded the Ministry of Health for partnering with him and his team for such an initiative in the country.
According to him, they are anticipating training about twenty (20) persons, who will be assigned at government referral hospitals across the country, in hearing instrument specialization, saying their aim is for the campaign to go beyond Liberia, mainly into the Mano River basin, to help fight the disease in the region.
Bishop Kortu K. Brown asserted that the campaign to train hearing healthcare specialists in the country required more funding and need the involvement of every Liberian, including stakeholders in the country.
“Now we are planning our 1st public campaign on this Friday, February 9, 2024, proposing Jenneh #3 in Dowein District, Bomi County, as the venue for the first community awareness campaign, and we need to reach out to the District Commissioner’s office, the APC church and other stakeholders in those communities to do the awareness,” Bishop Kortu K. Brown is quoted as saying.
He noted that assessment and treatment of possible cases have been identified on that basis. According to him, they have communicated with Rev. Miatta Sirleaf and P. Magdalene Konneh to reach out and organize the Friday program.
Already, Montserrado County Senator, Saah H. Joseph, has pledged his mobile clinic for the outreach. He also told Bishop Brown during the special thanksgiving and prayer service for the nurses who are expected to leave the country of the need to increase the number of candidates.
The Montserrado County Senator promised to lobby with his colleagues on Capitol Hill for serious attention to be given to the training of hearing healthcare specialists in the country.