The Liberia National Physician Assistants Association (LINPAA) has observed a homecoming day with a call for investment in health and redefinition of the profession.
The 2022 homecoming day was observed at the Buchanan City Hall on Fairgrounds, Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County, on Saturday, November 12, 2022.
According to LINPAA, its homecoming day celebration was ideal to create and establish strength and unity in working toward common goals to uplift the physician assistant (PA) profession in Liberia.
The physician assistants’ homecoming day was made possible with support from Last Mile Health, an international NGO formed in Liberia with a focus on “supporting countries to build teams of community and frontline health workers to deliver primary healthcare to the world’s most remote communities”.
Grand Bassa County Representative, Vicent S.T. Willie, served as keynote speaker. He addressed the physician assistants on the topic, “Redefining the Physician Assistant Profession in Liberia”.
In his address, the Grand Bassa County district #4 lawmaker urged members of the Liberia National Physician Assistants Association to give their profession a deeper critical, analytical consideration and re-imagine its significance in the medical field.
He told them that, as medical workers, redefining their professional stance is something they will have to do over the course of their career and personal life as redefinition of oneself involves upgrading with new skills, knowledge and a whole new approach to ways that promote professionalism.
Representative Willie stated, “Redefining your professional change could also be about credential. You could decide to pursue academic credentials, whether it is at a high level like a master’s or doctorate degree or a short medical seminar or workshop.”
Representative Willie acknowledged the role of physician assistants as key healthcare professionals licensed to practice medicine with doctors’ supervision and to conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery and write prescriptions.
He called for deserving benefits for medical workers, and said the homecoming day marked a significant milestone in the lives of physician assistants under one umbrella.
Meanwhile, the Wee District lawmaker used the occasion to call for intentional investment in healthcare delivery throughout Liberia.
“As an economist, I carry deep in my heart the fact that ensuring the health and wealth of all is essential to poverty eradication efforts and achieving sustainable development, contributing to economic growth and prosperous communities,” he explained.
“Health is also an absolute human right, as good health allows people to reach their full potential, children to be better able to learn, workers to be more productive and parents to better care for their children.
“In economics, health is a key indicator of a country’s progress: a nation with a healthy population is more likely to experience sustained growth. Good health is also essential for the stability of an entire region, as pandemics, which transcend borders, can have severe social and economic impacts on families and communities, and can put increased pressure on health systems. We have seen this with EBOLA and COVID,” Representative Willie disclosed.
In remarks, the Country Director of Last Mile Health, Marion Subah, extended appreciation to the Liberia National Physician Assistants Association for organizing the event. She said Last Mile Health was pleased to be at the event and to celebrate with the physician assistants, and emphasized that her institution, in which PAs play a key role, was fully concentrated on community health delivery enhancement.
Suba underscored that the community health program is on course. “We are working in three counties with the national community health program: Grand Bassa, Rivercess and Grand Gedeh,” she said.
The Liberia National Physician Assistants Association was formed to promote the economic, scientific and social well-being of its members and to expand knowledge of the profession and the guidelines under which it operates.
Several health-focus institutions were represented at Saturday’s LINPAA homecoming, including the Ministry of Health, Liberia Nursing and Midwifery Board and JFK Medical Center.
