Let health & education be at the top of Liberia’s national priority agenda

Let health & education be at the top of Liberia’s national priority agenda

Few days ago, Gbarpolu County Senator, Daniel Flomo Naatehn Sr., addressed a formal communication to the leadership and members of the Senate, the Upper House of the Legislature.

In the letter, the Senator underscored the dire need for the Government of Liberia (GoL) to prioritize and upsurge support for the nation’s healthcare delivery system.

The Gbarpolu County lawmaker also wants such support to be reflected in the 2015/2016 National Budget which is currently before the National Legislature for its deliberation and subsequent passage.

The Gbarpolu County Senator told his legislative comrades that Liberia is in dire need of modern medical equipment including but not limited to the following: Bone Densitometry, CT scan, X-Ray Mammography, Ultrasound, MRI and ECG equipment.

In terms of human resource capacity, Naatehn mentioned the importance of hiring the services of foreign medical specialists such as radiographers, neurologists, cardiologists, among others for effective and efficient management and operation of such equipment here.

According to the Senator, the lack of basic medical equipment in hospitals and health centers nationwide is one of the major factors for the constant referral of most medical cases from Liberia to hospitals abroad for professional treatment.

We, at the FOCUS newspaper concord with the Gbarpolu County lawmaker with respect to the urgency for increased budgetary allotment to the Liberian health sector.

This is because, without quality healthcare equipment as well as trained medical personnel to cater to the multiple and evolving health needs of Liberians, the country would continue to bask in the cesspool of misery, poverty and diseases.

As a government and people, we should not allow this to happen. Indeed, the significance of increased budgetary allotment by the current government to the country’s health sector cannot be overemphasized.

We say this because, for too long, Liberia’s healthcare delivery sector has been in an antiquated state with the country’s population gaining little or nothing from its operations over the years.

Moreover, the recent outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease EVD) in Liberia has exacerbated the country’s healthcare dilemma with the disease taking away the lives of thousands of citizens predominately doctors, nurses, hygienists, social workers among others, coupled with the abysmal disruption of the country’s economy by Ebola.

Indeed, it is time for Liberians at all strata of the society to help change, for better, the gloomy situation facing our nation’s healthcare sector through substantial budgetary appropriations.

This can be done by the government with support of its international development partners and other stakeholders.

Frankly, in this modern world, where a healthy population is a matter of national priority for every civilized nation, Liberia cannot afford to remain in the dungeon of backwardness in this direction.

This is why the Legislature must act swiftly to save this and succeeding generation of Liberians with respect to having easy accessto quality but affordable healthcare services in every nook and hamlet of the country.
We, as a government and nation, must prioritize genuine investment in our students and youth in terms of providing them, (as future leaders) learning opportunities at home and abroad in the revitalization process of the nation’s health sector, which, over the years, has been in a moribund state. Yes, we concord with Senator Naatehn that Liberia needs modern medical equipment and trained medical manpower. Nevertheless, this should be buttressed by developing the capacities of the nation’s youths to effectively use such facilities as diametrically opposed to the importation of foreign specialists to run our health system.