Around the Country: Over 5,000 people have taken their shot of J&J Vaccine in Bong County, Charlesville clinic in Margibi County Gets new look, Donations in Sinoe and Maryland Counties to boost health care service and in other news local community forest supervisors equipped with smart phone to report about Logging activities in Gbarpolu County
Bong County: Over 5,000 People Have Taken J&J Vaccine
Gbarnga — Dr. Jonathan Flomo, Bong County Health Officer has praised the people of Bong County for the resilience demonstrated in the fight against COVID-19.
Appearing as guest on a local station in Gbarnga, YMCA Radio 95. 1MHz on September 20, he called on the citizens to take the J&J vaccine very seriously, adding that doing so will be very helpful in the fight against the virus.
He also praised people of the county going in their numbers to the vaccination centers to take the vaccine. According to him, more than 5,000 people in the county have taken the J&J vaccine since the rollout began on September 8. Over 24,900 doses of the J&J vaccine were delivered in the county by the Ministry of Health.
But Dr. Flomo stressed that despite the progress in vaccine intake, COVID-19 is not yet eradicated as he urged all citizens to keep observing health protocols.
Said Dr. Flomo: “If we must succeed in fighting COVID -19, we must work together as partners and citizens of Liberia. We must collaborate, coordinate and provide timely and affordable communication to fight COVID-19 in the County”.
Margibi County: Charlesville Health Facility Gets A New Look, as Traditional Midwife Complains about Bad Road Condition.
Charlesville — The only public health facility in the Charlesville Community, located at the back of the Roberts International Airport, is currently being renovated.
The Renovation work began about a week ago when the roof of the entire building which has leakages was changed replaced, explains Augustine Tambah — a dispenser working at the facility.
The facility was one of UNMIL Quick Impact Projects constructed since 2007 but the building has been in a deplorable condition.
“It appears as a surprise to us, just few months after Dr. Augustine N. Fannieh took over as the county Health Officer (CHO), one morning we saw the people with bundles of zincs, paint buckets, bundles of wire and other materials in a car saying that they were sent by the county to renovate the building,” Tambah said.
Many residents in the area have praised the ongoing job at the clinic.
“I see the new look of the health center as giving hope to the community dwellers and sick people who have been coming for treatment and could get discouraged by the filthy and uncomfortable condition of the clinic,” said Peter Garjay, a resident of the community, adding, “we’re looking forward to a vibrant Health care service delivery”.
Meanwhile, the registered Trained Traditional Midwife (TTM) assigned at the facility said despite the renovation of the facility, something needs to be done about the deplorable road in the area.
“The road is very bad, pregnant women find it difficult to get here on bikes, because of that our patients are not coming like before,” alarms Famatta J. Taye. He is calling on the county authorities the Ministry of Public Works, RIA and any well-meaning individuals to help rehabilitate the road from the Roberts International Airport to the Charlesville Community.
Maryland County: J.J Dossen Gets New Waste Control System
Harper — The JJ Dossen Referral Hospital in Harper now has a new incinerator which will now help control waste at the facility. An incinerator is used for burning waste materials at high temperatures until it is reduced to ash.
The facility was handed over for use by the hospital on September 21. According to J.J. Dossen Hospital Administrator, Mrs. Julia Matt Doe, the incinerator and storage system was provided by partnering organizations GIZ through Partners in Health, PIH.
Mrs. Doe expressed gratitude to GIZ and partners for the facility. According to Madam Doe, disposing of medical waste including expired drugs has been a major problem for the hospital.
Sinoe County: Golden Verolum Liberia donates to Sinoe County Health Team
Harper — As a means of buttressing national government efforts with support to the health sector, Golden Verolum Liberia an oil palm company operating in Sinoe and Grand Kru Counties has donated Infection Prevention and Control materials and two drums of fuel to Sinoe County health team.
Speaking during the donation ceremony Mr. Mark Threason GVL Sinoe County communication officer said the donation is the company’s support to the county health team.
Items donated items also include four cartoons of powder soap, twelve rims of sheets, and 100 pieces of starch cards, amongst other.
For his part Sinoe County Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Alexander Pewee Tokpah lauded the company for its support, adding that the company has always supported the health sector of the county.
Dr. Tokpah has challenged the company to continue its support to county health team.
Gbarpolu County: SDI Help Community Report Effective about their Forest
Bopolu — To improve forest governance, the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), on Sept. 22, 2021, completed a three-day capacity building workshop for three authorized Community Forest Management bodies in Gbarpolu County.
Over 10 persons from the Bondi Mandingo, Korninga ‘A’ and ‘B’ authorized forest in Bopolu district were equipped with seven smart phones with a reporting mobile app called TOMBY, which means ‘This Is My Back Yard’.
The SDI program lead Jonathan Yard said the exercise is part of a five-year building legal foundation for sustainable forest and livelihood project for community forest management bodies across Liberia.
“SDI has realized that almost all the authorized community forest are benefiting from agreement they said with logging company,” he said. “This is why, we have empowered them to tell their own stories with evidence.”
“Therefore, we have encouraged them to be reporting on positive and negative happenings in their respective concession areas to attract additional support to enhance forest governance for society good.”
Meanwhile, participants of the training thanked the SDI and promised to tell their forest storie