The mother of Isaiah Benedicto Williams, a promising Liberian student, has accused St. Joseph Catholic Hospital of killing her son due to a wrongful medical procedure. Speaking to the press, she alleged that negligence by the hospital staff led to the untimely death of her only child during what was described as a “minor surgery.”
Benedicto, who was set to travel to Rwanda for studies on January 13, 2025, tragically passed away on December 23, 2024. His mother trusted the hospital’s assurances and decided against seeking treatment abroad, a decision that ended in heartbreak.
“They assured me it was a minor procedure and promised my son would be fine. Instead, they took my only child from me,” she lamented.
Since the news broke, the hospital management has not issued any official response to the allegations. However, the tragic story has ignited a wave of similar accounts from Liberians who claim to have experienced or witnessed alleged medical negligence at the same facility.
Public Reactions and Allegations of Negligence
Many Liberians have come forward to recount harrowing stories involving St. Joseph Catholic Hospital.
Ellen Gofan shared: “The same thing happened with my friend’s dad in 2022. The man walked into the hospital himself. The doctors said he needed an operation, and the family agreed. But shortly after, the doctor came out to announce his death. It was heartbreaking.”
Johnson Chester Doe recounted a tragic incident involving his father in 2007: “My dad died at that hospital due to a doctor’s error during an appendicitis surgery. The saddest part was that I couldn’t even get a death certificate. After multiple visits to the hospital, no one helped me. I later found out from someone else that the doctor had ruptured the appendix during the surgery.”
Others expressed their distrust of the hospital altogether. Janet Somah reflected on an experience as a child: “At the age of 13, I was seriously sick, and my parents wanted to take me to Catholic Hospital. At midnight, I begged them not to. Thankfully, they listened and took me somewhere else.”
April Sayon added: “Catholic Hospital is a big mess. My late mother was strong and healthy when she went in. Two weeks later, she couldn’t walk, and then she passed away.”
Calls for Accountability
The Williams family, alongside others, is calling for accountability and transparency regarding the operations of St. Joseph Catholic Hospital. Many are demanding investigations into these allegations and seeking justice for the lives lost due to alleged medical negligence.
For now, the hospital remains silent, but the growing number of voices from grieving families is amplifying demands for answers.
