Health Main Stories

Liberia: Major health center in Bong finally dumps corroded child-delivery ‘relic’ away

James Fasuekoi

In the Central Liberian highway town of Totota, Bong County, last Wednesday, the current administration of Pres. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, proved yet its determination to serve humanity after his foundation moved in and replaced one vital medical instrument at the town’s major health center, now a part of antiquity, as readers will find out. ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY AUTHOR

By James Kokulo Fasuekoi|Editor-Publisher

Looking at the corroded but shabby delivery bed, it’s hard to believe that this piece of equipment has been used by nurses for over a decade (some even said, 20 yrs.) at a major clinic in the Central Liberian town of Totota, Bong County, to birth hundreds, or perhaps thousands of newborns-some of whom may become future leaders.

Some staff at the Totota Clinic seen here carrying the old bed away.

But again, that’s the reality, (See image in banner photograph). Now a relic of the past, Clarena P. Fendor, Officer in Charge at the Mary Horton Memorial Health Center in Totota, Wednesday, Oct. 2, confirmed during additional medical donation there by JNB Foundation staff that the rusty instrument had been in use for over ten years.

She maintained it was “all” that they (staff) had and there was no other option, but to use what she noted “was available for the job,” working as nurses at this healthcare center, one of the largest clinics located in this highly populated part of the country.

Foundation Executive Director Mr. George closely examines poor equipment at the center recently. On his left is the corroded child-delivery bed that was finally put away after decades in use.

“You can’t deliver the patient on the bare floor,” she lamented, before a team of horrified JNB Foundation guests who had traveled from to the area as far as from the capital, Monrovia, to replace the dilapidated maternity bed with new one, in addition to some other medical items, as promised initially by the foundation staff.  

The referenced medical relic in question, was first spotted by JNB Foundation’s Executive Director Mr. Jackson K. George recently after he and his team stopped by to conduct an assessment concerning the center’s medical needs, while on their way to Monrovia from the Gbarnga region.

During that brief stop Mr. George’s foundation also provided the highway clinic with sanitary materials such as bleaches and detergents and a wheelchair to be used in wheeling in emergency patients, especially women in labor.   

The new automatic deliver bed (here) given to the clinic by the JNB Foundation Wednesday. In photo (L) is OIC Fendor looking on as Mr. Henry Flanpor presents the items.

In presenting the new delivery-bed Wednesday, the foundation’s assistant director, Mr. Henry Flanpor, expressed deep regrets seeing the clinic use such rusty equipment to deliver newborns in the country.

“We are not the most-less fortunate people in this world, that human being will lay on this kind of bed to deliver a baby” he observed. 

“In fact, your [you people] should throw this one away,” Mr. Flanpor continued, referring to the corroded delivery bed, which another participant at the occasion put to 20 years old. Flanpor’s remarks sparked immense laughter among the clinic staff and the visiting guests.  

These respiratory machines were among the donation given to the healthcare center.

Emotionally distraught by such a grave situation witnessed, the foundation’s medical director, Dr. Tamba Cembianor described the situation at the clinic as a “punishment” and added that “It’s very unfortunate the staff had to go through such a thing.” 

He then wondered how “someone [a newborn] coming into the world could be delivered on [such] rusty, defective and contaminated iron!”

“No wonder why our children, when born after one to two weeks, start to convulse,” he decried. 

The referenced medical relic appeared to contain blood stains, around its bottom rusty edges, blending in with the corrosion. And just as Mr. Flanpor had ordered, the object was immediately removed from the delivery/maternity wall and tossed in the hospital’s backyard by four male staffers.

The rusty delivery bed on its way to the dumpsite Wednesday.

Meantime, lead nurse Fendor revealed the County Health Officer (DHO), was “first to use the wheelchair” Mr. George had earlier donated to the clinic on behalf of his foundation. She said, this happened after the “DHO” ran into a serious accident, sustaining life-threatening injuries to the head and was rushed to this clinic for emergency treatment.  

Nurse Fendor thanked H.E. Pres. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. and his foundation for such kind gestures, promising the donated materials would be properly used to serve humanity in this region. 

Dr. Tamba of the JNB Foundation examines weighing object at the Totota Clinic. Apparently hard-pressed for tools the center’s staffers have turned more creative, sometimes producing their own tools like the one in picture above to do the job.

As of the time of this writing, it wasn’t clear what exactly the clinic intends to do with this piece of medical relic which someone suggested the center could bleach up, then mount it in a local museum or use for exhibition for the sake of antiquity due to its service rendered to humanity.