WAYZOHN, Grand Bassa – The United Methodist Church has dedicated a 50-bed health center in Grand Bassa’s third district.

The health center is a joint project of government and the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The dedicatory ceremony took place over the weekend in Wayzohn.

The agreement to build the health center was signed in 2012, with the government committing to provide 40 percent of the necessary funds and the United Methodist Church providing the remaining 60 percent.

Speaking at the dedication, the director of the church’s Department of Community Services, Okai Wleh, said the health center would serve as a major help for residents of Grand Bassa and nearby counties.

“We want you to take your own development into your hands,” she added. “So, we will not do all for you, you have to do yours and we as an organization will do our part.”

While the church provided much of the funds for the construction, Wleh said community members had provided local materials such as sand and rocks.

She noted that the church had now played its part and it was now the responsibility of the government to staff the health center so that the doors can be opened to the public.

Wleh thanked the Norwegian government for its support to the United Methodist Church’s Department of Community Services.

Rep. Thomas Goshua of Grand Bassa’s fifth district, who chairs the Grand Bassa Legislative Caucus, promised to work with his colleagues for the health center to be captured in the national budget.

“Besides the Liberian Government Hospital in Buchanan, there is no health facility in Grand Bassa County that has been awarded any budgetary support,” he said. “This is something that is hampering our county.”

Goshua said he and other Grand Bassa lawmakers would lobby with their colleagues at the legislature to ensure that the health center is captured during the January review of the national budget.

Grand Bassa’s Superintendent Janjay Baikpeh praised the United Methodist Church for buttressing the government’s effort to provide quality health care.

He called on citizens to take ownership of the health center by protecting and providing the needed security for the health center. He assured the citizens that the government would make sure that the health center was functional.

Representing the Ministry of Health was Stephen James from the Grand Bassa County Health Team. He assured the public that his team was ready to take over the newly dedicated health center.

“Our quest in building a resilient health system is based on this kind of beautiful infrastructure that has met all of the standards of the Ministry of Health,” James said. He promised that the county health team would start bringing in staff to the facility within two weeks.

Featured photo by Sampson David