HARPER, Maryland – A tour of the nurses’ dormitory at the James Jenkins Dossen Hospital in Harper has revealed appalling living conditions.

Nurses assigned at the hospital are from different parts of the country and are housed in an eight-bedroom dormitory, which hosts eight males and six females. Two nurses are assigned to a room in the dormitory.

A visit during the waning stages of the rainy season in September first uncovered the shocking conditions at the dormitory. In a second tour of the facility in December 2016, the state of the building appeared to have worsened since the first visit.

The major issue seems to stem from leakage of the roof. During rainstorms, water enters some of the nurses’ rooms, although conditions are much worse in the hallways and nurses are mostly confined to their various bedrooms.

Besides the rain, the dormitory is also insecure as a dwelling place. The locks on two of the three entrances to the building are non-functional, compelling the nurses to use chairs and stones behind as locking mechanisms at night.

The entire building becomes vulnerable to thieves whenever the nurses are away on duty.

Chair used as locking mechanism at the nurses’ dormitory. Photo: Zeze Ballah

Apart from issues of security, the dormitory is also a health hazard to the nurses. Most of the windows on the building are without screens while others which have are very dirty and rusty. Sliding glass windows have all been removed, making it easier for mosquitoes and other harmful insects to enter the dormitory.

There are no doors or windows on the dormitory kitchen and the nurses avoid cooking there, instead opting to cook in the hallway of the building.

The nurses were hesitant to speak on the record and referred all comments to the hospital administrator.

Julia Natt Doe, the administrator for the J. J. Dossen Hospital, confirmed the findings and said the nurses’ dormitory needs prompt renovation.

Doe said the building has been leaking for some time now, adding that “the hospital’s administration is trying to source money for the renovation of the nurses’ dormitory.”

“The James Jenkins Dossen Hospital administration respects the dignity of its nurses and will not sit and watch the dormitory deteriorates,” she maintained.

This story was funded as part of a travel grant provided by Internews. Featured photo by Zeze Ballah