Africa-Press – Liberia. The Secretary General of the Liberia National Red Cross Society is increasing calls for more donations to the Liberian Government Hospital recently damaged by fire in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
Mr. Gregory T. Blamoh said he hopes that more people of good will continue to donate to the hospital so as to reconstruct it, as it’s the major government referral hospital in the county. Mr. Blamoh believes the present ruined state of the hospital is a grave setback to the county’s health sector and patients, especially pregnant women as well as sick children. “We are hoping that more people of good will, will continue to donate to the hospital”, the Red Cross Secretary General pointed out.
As a foremost humanitarian responder, and realizing the crucial needs, the Liberia National Red Cross Society dispatched a team with assorted Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which contained 17 different kinds for donation to the Hospital.
The materials donated included ten packs of surgical gloves, two cartoons of examination gloves, one hundred pieces of washing soap, fifty pieces of bath soap, twenty-five big bottles of hands sanitizers, twenty pieces of handwashing buckets, forty pieces of regular buckets and twenty-five pieces of towels. Other items contained in the donation included fifty pieces of cups, two cartoons of goggles, fifty pieces of boot cover, two cartoons of Surgical face mask, twenty pieces of thermometers, one cartoon of face shield plastic, one cartoon each of toothpastes and battery.
Making the presentation, Mr. Blamoh said the materials are given to the hospital for the doctors and nurses to effectively do their work. “The incident is regrettable but we are glad there was no loss of lives during the fire outbreak”.
The Red Cross staff and volunteers were on the ground and quickly joined the rescue team to move in to access and transport patients to nearby hospitals and health Centers using the Red Cross’ ambulance assigned in the county.
Mr. Blamoh emphasized he was glad that the Red Cross’ ambulance team was very swift and acted in time to support the rescue team. “We were happy to have been part of the rescue team to safely transport the patients out of immediate danger” he said. “Our office enumerated patients from the various wards close to the affected area and took photos”, he added.
As flood, storm and fire disasters are somewhat serious natural and man-made phenomenon, the recent fire outbreak has severely disrupted the everyday, routine services of the hospital and since the outbreak, it continues to face different yet difficult challenges.
Infection Prevention Control (IPC) materials and other assorted essential medical supplies including scrub suits for Nurses, Aids and Anesthetic wear during medical procedures especially surgery also got destroyed in the fire and cooking utensils for patients also got burned. “These materials we have donated today contains PPE that might have been exactly some of the items that the hospital may have lost in the fire”, the Red Cross Secretary General told the press.
The materials were received by the medical doctor Dr. Moses Weidehgar and was then presented to the County Assistant Superintendent for Development, Hon. Flee A. Glay who is also the Board Chair for the Grand Bassa County Health Board. The Development Superintendent in response thanked the Liberian Red Cross for what he terms as ‘a kind gesture’ but said it was not a surprise knowing what the Red Cross has and continues to do for affected people and communities during and after disasters and other emergencies.
“On behalf of the County leadership, I am pleased to express sincere gratitude to the Liberian Red Cross for the thoughtfulness and intervention at the time the government hospital has suffered another fire disaster”, Mr. Gray commended.
On March 3, 2022, a fire broke out in the warehouse of the Liberian Government Hospital (LGH) in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. The fire spread steadily over to the kitchen and the laundry facility leaving every essential material including medical supplies, equipment and cooking utensils damaged. The Liberian Government Hospital is the only government referral hospital in the Port City of Buchanan, but this is the third time, it has been gutted by fire since March 2018.
During the time of the latest fire outbreak, the hospital has over 43 patients admitted including 16 on the female ward, 11 on the male ward and 16 on the obstetrics medical and Surgical wards. No one got kill in the process but every essential material in the warehouse got damaged. The scene at the hospital was chaotic after the flames swept through the outbuildings. But patients on the various wards were accessed and evacuated by rescue teams including the Red Cross’ ambulance team.
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