Published: February 6, 2025
Gbarpolu County – Emirates Hospital in Bopolu City is on the brink of collapse, with empty pharmacy shelves, idle medical equipment, and patients forced to sleep outside due to electricity and resource shortages, Senator Amara M. Konneh has warned in a desperate call for government intervention.
In a detailed letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence, Senator Konneh described the dire conditions at the hospital following his visit on February 1, 2026. He revealed that critical equipment sits unused due to a lack of electricity and fuel to power the hospital’s generators, leaving patients and medical staff struggling in extreme conditions.
As solar power systems shut down nightly, patients endure stifling heat, often forced to rest on lappa mats in the hospital yard with their families. The lack of electricity has also crippled the hospital’s electronic systems, preventing doctors and nurses from accessing vital patient information and disrupting essential care.
Senator Konneh also highlighted devastating funding cuts that have pushed the hospital to the brink. Despite an initial allocation of $350,000 in FY24, the hospital received only $37,000, a mere 10.6 percent of the promised funds. The situation has worsened in FY25, with the allocation slashed to just $150,000 – a 57 percent reduction.
The senator criticized the government’s failure to deliver essential resources, leaving healthcare workers to operate in substandard conditions. Doctors and nurses lack electricity in their living quarters, while water systems remain dysfunctional due to resource constraints.
The grim realities at Emirates Hospital mirror challenges faced by healthcare facilities across Liberia. Senator Konneh pointed to similar conditions at major hospitals, including John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Monrovia, Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town, and regional hospitals in Margibi, Bong, Sinoe, and other counties.
He blamed bureaucratic inefficiencies at the Ministries of Health and Finance for delaying the disbursement of much-needed funds, undermining efforts by the Senate Committee on Health to address the crisis. While commending the committee’s leadership, he expressed frustration over the lack of tangible progress.
Senator Konneh has urged the Senate to summon the Ministers of Finance and Development Planning and Health and Social Welfare to explain the drastic funding cuts and delays. He called on his colleagues to restore Emirates Hospital’s budget to its FY24 level, emphasizing the facility’s crucial role in delivering healthcare to residents of Gbarpolu and Western Liberia.
“Lives are at stake,” Senator Konneh stressed, imploring the government to act swiftly to prevent the collapse of Liberia’s healthcare system. “The struggles of doctors, nurses, and patients across the nation demand immediate attention.”
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