MEDICAL MALFUNCTION: The investigation reveals that the hospital’s activities are having little or no impact on the more than three million people that it has to provide medical care for due to the lack of the simplest medical equipment such as an x-ray machine and a functional ambulance as well as the absence of an active CMO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monrovia -  

 

n investigation conducted by FrontPageAfrica shows that the lone referral hospital in Liberia is currently without a Chief Medical Officer (CMO), an x-ray machine and a functional ambulance, situations that continue to contribute to the hospital’s deteriorating medical catering ability.

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, named in honor of the late American President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, is Liberia’s only referral hospital and once served as one of the best hospitals in the West African region. Opened to the public since 1971, the US$8 million structure is situated on Tubman Boulevard in the Sinkor suburb and has since been offering general medical-surgical and pediatric care including comprehensive services such as an active out-patient department, a reference clinical-pathological laboratory, diagnostic and other medical cares.  

The X-Ray machine room at the John F. Kennedy Medical Hospital in Monrovia.

The hospital is part of a 500-bed tertiary referral institution for West Africa generally referred to as the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, which consists of the JFK Memorial Hospital, the Liberian Japanese Friendship Maternity Hospital, the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA), the Catherine Mills Rehabilitation Center simply referred to as Rehab Hospital and the Eugene Roberts Memorial Sanitarium commonly referred to as T.B Hospital.  

The investigation reveals that the hospital’s activities are having little or no impact on the more than three million people that it has to provide medical care for due to the lack of the simplest medical equipment such as an x-ray machine and a functional ambulance as well as the absence of an active CMO.

X-Ray Cover-Up

The giant-size medical facility is currently without an x-ray machine and investigation reveals that the hospital refers patients whose cases require an x-ray test to other hospitals, especially the Catholic run Saint Joseph Catholic Hospital which is located about a mile away from the JFK Hospital on the same Tubman Boulevard in Sinkor.

During a visit to the X-Ray Department of the hospital Tuesday afternoon, the head of the department Dr. Nathaniel Bartee told FPA that there is an x-ray machine available. Dr. Bartee told FPA that there is one x-ray machine available at the hospital and that it had only been down due to mechanical fault. “But it is now working and we even expect about three more”, he said.

But when FPA requested to see the x-ray machine so as to verify his statement, he failed to show the machine. “No, the machine is locked up and only Ms. Scott-McDonald (the hospital’s general administrator) has the keys. So, you can get to her”. 

Broken down ambulances parked outside the JFK hospital.

There have been divided public opinions over the issue of JFK Hospital having a single x-ray machine. Some people have been arguing that the referral hospital has at least a functional x-ray machine while others have bitterly argued that there is none existing at the hospital.   

At the same time, the hospital has been without an active CMO since the departure of its last chief medical officer, Dr.  Robert Dennis. Dr. Dennis reportedly resigned his post due to ‘non-cooperation’ from his employers over a year ago.

According to the organizational structure of the hospital, the CMO who reports to the General Administrator is the head of clinical services who is involved in both clinical and administrative duties. The responsibilities of a CMO include quality of care review, recruitment, development and implementation of policies and procedures, medical education and liaison with other institutions and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. 

With the vital job description of the hospital’s CMO, there have been mounting concerns over the President’s refusal to appoint a CMO that would help to restore the medical competency of the hospital. Some members of the public have been having as their point of contention the role of a CMO who they say is so crucial that the Hospital should not be going without for as long as one round year.

Credible reports however speak of some qualified Liberian doctors, both at home and abroad who have expressed their desire to occupy the position.

A chief medical officer is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Liberian Senate. However, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the JFK Hospital and Minister of Health and Social Welfare can recommend to the President names of candidates from which the President can nominate a CMO.

The Chairman of the Board and Minister of Health Dr. Walter Gwenigale however told FPA that he is not obliged to recommend any one for the position. He further said that a vetting committee has since been established to recommend the names of competent Liberians to fill the vacancy.

According to the Health Minister, an American doctor named James Tomarken from the Clinton Foundation heads the committee called ‘The JFK CMO Search Committee’ who has set a November 7 deadline for the submission of interested candidates. This has also caused a public uproar on grounds that a foreign doctor may not be well acquainted with qualified Liberian doctors who can fill the void.

It can be recalled that a US-based Liberian medical doctor‘s name surfaced during the budget hearing of the Ministry of Health and the JFK Administration who appeared before the Budget Committee of the National Legislature. Both Minister Gwenigale and the General Administrator of the Hospital Winnie Scott-McDonald were pressed on the issue of a CMO being absent from the Hospital for such a long period of time.   

The name of a Liberian doctor based in the United States, Dr. Francis Kateh, among a couple of other names, surfaced during the budgetary defense.

Ailing Acting CMO’s No Use

It was also revealed that the man who was appointed as the Acting CMO following the departure of Dr. Dennis is not able to help the situation due to his severe illness. Dr. Samuel Brisbane who has been acting the post for over a year has been sick for almost two months.

Multiple sources confirmed to FPA that the ailing condition of the Acting CMO who has been out of work for over a month now is serving as a serious impediment for the duties of the crucial job to be effectively carried out. It was learnt that Dr. Brisbane has a serious back-spinal problem and recently returned from a health trip in Ghana with little or no improvement.

Inactive Ambulances

Another shocking revelation of the FPA’s investigation is that the largest public and only referral hospital in the country does not have any operational ambulance despite the importance of it in delivering adequate and efficient medical first aid-service.

The trip to the compound of the hospital revealed that the hospital has been functioning without an ambulance for the past three weeks. According to credible information gathered by FPA during Tuesday’s visit, the hospital’s two ambulances have been parked for the past three weeks due to mechanical faults.

An employee of the hospital who begged anonymity for fear of dismissal said, “These two ambulances you see parked in the yard are just there for decoration. They have been down for the past three weeks now and I can hardly see any effort to get at least one of them back-on. It is making matters worse here”.   

Meanwhile, some employees of the hospital, again begging anonymity told FPA that there are not favorable working conditions. They, among several key issues, complained of delayed salaries which they say are received deep into the following month.

 

Reporter Nat Nyuan Bayjay can be reached at nbayjay@frontpageafrica.com ( 231-1-77-402-73.