Published: July 10, 2026
SUAKOKO, Bong County – Scores of women from communities across Bong County staged a peaceful protest Wednesday, demanding the immediate reopening of Phebe Hospital and warning that the prolonged disruption of services is placing the lives of thousands of residents at risk, particularly pregnant women, children and people living with chronic illnesses.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans, the demonstrators marched through Suakoko on July 9, calling on the government and relevant authorities to intervene and restore operations at one of Liberia’s largest referral hospitals, which serves Bong and several neighboring counties.
The protesters said the closure has severely disrupted access to emergency care, maternal health services, essential medicines and other critical treatments, leaving many residents with few alternatives.
Leading the demonstration, Kumba Sakila said the continued shutdown of the hospital is disproportionately affecting poor families who cannot afford to seek treatment outside Bong County.
“We are here because of Phebe. Let the people open Phebe Hospital because our people are dying. The pregnant women, especially the children and babies, are dying. Not everyone has the resources to go to Tapita Hospital in Nimba County or JFK,” Sakila said.
She said the closure has placed enormous pressure on other health facilities, particularly C.B. Dunbar Hospital, which she described as overwhelmed with patients.
“Right now, as I’m speaking, C.B. Dunbar Hospital is crowded with patients. We came this morning to carry out our peaceful demonstration because we want our hospital to open,” she added.
The protesters also demanded the removal of three senior hospital officials—Medical Director Dr. Minnie Sankawulo-Ricks, Acting Administrator Jonathan L. Pewu, and Acting Human Resource Officer Peter B. Gbelawoe—accusing them of contributing to the crisis affecting the institution.
The demand echoes similar calls made by aggrieved health workers, who have previously raised concerns over the hospital’s administration and working conditions. The officials had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publication.
Sakila maintained that the leadership dispute should not come at the expense of patients’ lives.
“I support the nurses in demanding the dismissal of the three executives. It’s not because of them that thousands of people should die. We are appealing to them to step down,” she said.
During the protest, Sakila accused police officers deployed to maintain order of using excessive force against demonstrators, alleging that one of the protest leaders collapsed after being beaten.
“We came this morning to peacefully demonstrate, but the police are here beating us. They even beat one of our chairladies until she fainted. These people are not here for peace. We want our hospital to open,” she alleged.
The allegation could not be independently verified, and the Liberia National Police had not responded to the claims by press time.
Another protester claimed the hospital’s closure had already resulted in preventable deaths, alleging that a pregnant woman from her community died while being transported to another health facility because Phebe Hospital was unavailable.
“My family sister, a pregnant woman from the village, died yesterday because the hospital is closed. Before they could rush her to another clinic, she died on the way. That’s why we’re angry,” the protester said.
Another demonstrator, Ma Lusu Pewu, said patients who depend on the hospital for medication and routine treatment are struggling to access healthcare since services were disrupted.
“I’m here because I want the hospital to be open because our people are dying. Every day I take medicine, I can’t go without medicine. The hospital is closed and my medicine has finished. It is difficult to find medicine outside,” she said.
Pewu added that many families can no longer afford medicines that were previously available through the hospital.
“Some of the medicines we used to get here for free, we are now buying outside. Everyone cannot afford it. This hospital means a lot to us. Our children are dying too,” she said.
She also criticized the Lutheran authorities responsible for overseeing the hospital, accusing them of failing to resolve the impasse.
“We’re waiting for the government to step in because the Lutheran people are not doing anything,” Pewu said.
Phebe Hospital has experienced significant disruptions in healthcare delivery amid an ongoing dispute between management and health workers, raising concerns among residents about the impact on vulnerable patients across Bong County and neighboring regions.
The protesting women vowed to continue their demonstrations until the hospital is fully reopened and normal medical services are restored.
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