By: Patrick Germenee Moryor |Contact info: 0886691422/0775250413
Kakata, Margibi County: Some residents of Margibi County have raised concerns over a “compulsory surgical fees payment” policy at the government run C.H. Rennie Hospital in the county, something the Ministry of Health says is “slanderous and false.”
During a daylong consultative meeting organized by the Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), which brought together citizens of Margibi County electoral district three and Representative Ellen Attoh-Wreh to dialogue on good governance, turn dramatic as some of the citizens could not hold back their grievance in an alleged “compulsory surgery fee” policy at the county’s major referral hospital; C.H. Rennie, describing the situation as “troubling and heartbreaking.”
The residents expressed disappointment, alleging that doctors and nurses at the facility demand L$21,000.00 upfront before performing surgery on pregnant women.
“To even touch the patient, they say we must first bring L$21,000.00, and that is hard for many of us,” one of the participants lamented, calling for immediate intervention from their lawmaker.
Another participant, only identified as Pa Kollie, shared a painful account, stating that his daughter died because he could not immediately provide the full operation fee.
According to him, the hospital rejected the L$10,000.00 he initially had and refused to attend to his daughter until the full amount was paid later that evening. He noted that by the time the surgery was done, both his daughter and her baby had died. He described the situation as “pure wickedness” that government must address.
“How can they say there is no medicine, but then show us a particular drug store to buy tablets? “another participant questioned, describing the practice as suspicious and unfair.
They called on WONGOSOL to engage the Ministry of Health and the Government of Liberia to urgently investigate these claims and provide improve healthcare delivery in Margibi County.
However, the Ministry of Health dismissed the citizens claims as “false and slanderous,” further clarifying that “no maternal deaths occured at C.H. Rennie Hospital due to refusal of care.”
In an offiicial response to the report, the Ministry of Health through the Margibi County Health Team headed by Dr. Doryea F. W. Karbah, stated that it has investigated the team at the hospital and found no evidence of compulsory medical fees payment before catering for patients health.
“After a thorough review and interview with the attending health workers, the county health team confirm no patient was ever denied obstetric care,” the released clarified.
Liberia faces very high maternal mortality, with recent data from the 2022 Census showing around 854 deaths per 100,000 live births, significantly above United Nations Substainable Development Goals targets, though World Bank data suggests improvement to 628 by 2023 from 1,749 in 2000. Key causes include hemorrhage, sepsis, and eclampsia, with rural areas and delayed care-seeking increasing risks, despite some observed declines in specific periods.
These recurring reports of poor service delivery, many say, highlight the urgent need for stronger government action to strengthen the health sector.
