BOPOLU CITY, Gbarpolu – Gbarpolu’s Senator Amara Konneh has raised the alarm over the slow release of funds approved for the Emirates Hospital, located within his county.
With only four months left in 2024, only US$37,000 of the US$350,000 allocated to the hospital in the national budget has been released, leaving the authorities worried about the fate of medical services there.
Emirates Hospital was inaugurated in 2023 by former Liberian President George Weah after being constructed with the support of the United Arab Emirates.
With a capacity of 125 beds and sprawling across 80,000 square meters, the facility boasts operating rooms, a modern laboratory, and an intensive care unit.
The hospital is powered by a solar energy system, ensuring essential services continue uninterrupted throughout the day.
Because of its proximity to the Sierra Leonean border, the hospital does not only cater to residents of Gbarpolu but also to people in the nearby Kongba District, just across the border. This widespread reach of the hospital makes it a critical resource for many.
However, many Gbarpolu residents are calling for a timely release of the hospital’s funds.
Mary Flomo, a mother of three, added her voice: “We need more support so that our families can receive the care they deserve. The hospital is our salvation, and without the proper resources, we worry about our own health and our children’s futures.”
Another resident, Fatima Konneh, said, “This hospital is a blessing, but it needs more money to provide the medicine and treatment, not white papers [prescriptions] every day.”
“This hospital must be supported by [the] government; it is our hope,” declared Mama Korpo, a physically challenged leader in Bopolu.
For the moment, the dire circumstances resulting from funding delays are gradually impeding the hospital’s function, according to Gbarpolu’s county health officer, Dr. George M. Peter.
“We are struggling with limited drugs, insufficient fuel supplies, and a shortage of essential workers,” he said.
Gbarpolu County Health Officer Dr. George M. Peter in his Office at the Emirates Hospital. Photo: Henry Gboluma
Gbarpolu’s Superintendent Sam Zinnah also expressed frustration: “We need to start thinking in a decentralized manner – Monrovia is not Liberia.” He called for healthcare resources to be distributed more equitably across the country rather than concentrated in the capital.
Amid rumors that equipment could be removed from the hospital to serve others at more functional facilities, Gbarpolu’s outspoken senator has assured his constituents that he will protect the hospital’s interests: “I just want to assure our people that nobody is taking anything from the Emirates Hospital. It is a referral hospital.”
Sen. Konneh said he contacted the health minister and the Gbarpolu county health officer, and they both denied knowing any plan to decommission equipment at the Emirates Hospital.
Konneh said he and other local leaders in the region are committed to ensuring that services at the hospital are enhanced.
“We are fighting with our colleagues from Bomi and Cape Mount to make it a regional referral hospital. By the grace of God, we will achieve that goal by the end of this year,” he said.
He said the Gbarpolu County legislative Caucus’s determination to secure more resources for the Emirates Hospital in Western Liberia underscores the urgent and collective action from the lawmakers in western Liberia.
“We, the elected representatives and senators of the people, will not allow anyone to remove any equipment from there,” Konneh said. “We should receive more equipment from the government. The government should put more money into the Emirates Hospital to make it work for the people in Western Liberia.”
Featured photo by Henry Gboluma
