By: Patrick Germenee Moryor |Contact: 0887654565/0775250413
Margibi County: The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), in collaboration with the National Integrity Forum (NIF), has launched a medical fees posting exercise at the Kakata Health Center aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity in the delivery of public healthcare services across Liberia.
The exercise, held on Monday, June 8, 2026, forms part of the “Strengthening Political Governance and Accountability in Liberia Project”, a three-year initiative funded by the Embassy of Ireland in Liberia through Irish Aid. The project is being implemented by CENTAL, the Center for Democratic Governance (CDG), and NEYMOTE Partners for Democratic Governance. The initiative seeks to ensure that citizens accessing public health facilities are fully aware of approved service fees, thereby reducing opportunities for corruption and unauthorized charges.
Speaking during the ceremony, CENTAL Project Assistant Mr. Andrew D. Johnson explained that the fees-posting initiative is intended to increase public awareness and strengthen transparency within Liberia’s health sector. “This exercise key objective is to enhance transparency in service delivery for the health sector and also to ensure that citizens seeking access to public health services at these facilities know what it takes in terms of the costs so that nobody can just call any figures,” Mr. Johnson said.
He added that the project has been working with health facilities, county service centers, and local authorities through anti-corruption trainings and governance programs. According to him, the current fees-posting exercise is being spearheaded by the National Integrity Forum, with CENTAL serving as a supporting partner.
Mr. Johnson disclosed that the initiative is being conducted at two health facilities in Margibi County, Kakata Health Center and Dolo Town Health Center, noting that aimilar exercises are also scheduled for CB Dunbar and Phebe Hospitals in Bong County, following successful implementation at the Liberian Government Hospital and Gubee Hospital in Grand Bassa County.
“If you look on the board, you will know exactly what you are to pay, and nobody will have to tell you how much you are to pay. It enhances transparency and strengthens our efforts, along with the NIF, to have Liberia be a country that is based on integrity and accountability”, he stated.
For her part, Ms. Agatha Gadegbeku, Chairperson of the NIF Technical Committee, described the public display of approved service fees as a significant step toward building public trust in healthcare institutions. “Today marks an important step towards promoting transparency, accountability and public trust within our healthcare system,” Ms. Gadegbeku, said.She emphasized that publicly displaying service fees empowers patients and their families by providing clear information on the cost of medical services and protecting them from unauthorized charges. “The public display of approved service fees is more than an administrative requirement; it is a commitment to openness and fairness. When patients and their families are informed about the official costs of services, they are empowered to make informed decisions and are better protected from excessive charges,” she noted. Ms. Agatha Gadegbeku, further praised the Ministry of Health for supporting the initiative, stressing that transparency in healthcare services strengthens accountability and improves public confidence in health institutions. She called on healthcare providers to uphold professionalism, integrity, and compassion while delivering services to the public.
Representatives of the Margibi County Health Team welcomed the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention that would help address widespread misconceptions about hospital fees and improve communication between healthcare providers and patients. “We are grateful to receive you with our hearts open. We say thank you for partnering with us to have these fees posted. It will help us a lot in reducing the many misconceptions people out there have about the hospitals,” a representative of the County Health Team stated.
The health authorities, however, recommended that future versions of the fee schedule be translated into local vernaculars to ensure that citizens who cannot read English can also understand the information being displayed. “We also want you people to please reduce it into vernaculars so that people will have a clear understanding of what is being listed here because not everybody who comes to the hospital can read. With the vernacular, even the old ma way down the village will know exactly what is happening,”
Kakata Health Center Human Resource Officer added. The newly unveiled fee board at Kakata Health Center contains approved charges for a wide range of medical services, including ambulance services, admissions, laboratory tests, consultations, surgeries, and maternity-related services. Organizers believe the initiative will help eliminate confusion over healthcare costs while promoting greater accountability in the management of public health facilities.
