Published: October 6, 2025
PAYNESVILLE — Aggrieved workers at ELWA Hospital have suspended their protest following the intervention of Health Minister Dr. Louis Kpoto, who personally visited the facility on Monday to mediate between striking staff and hospital management.
The strike had paralyzed operations at the faith-based hospital for hours, leaving dozens of patients — including former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — without care as staff demanded higher wages, transparency, and sweeping reforms.
After hours of tense standoff, workers agreed to halt their industrial action following a closed-door meeting with Dr. Kpoto, who pledged to engage SIM Liberia’s Board of Directors and hospital leadership within two weeks to address the workers’ demands.
“Workers will resume work effectively tonight while we wait on the minister’s two-week promise to us,” said Boima D. Dougba, head of the hospital’s workers’ union.
Dougba cautioned, however, that the suspension was an act of good faith and warned that the protest could resume if authorities fail to act within the promised timeframe.
“When the time given finishes and there’s no result, we will petition the Legislature,” Dougba told The Liberian Investigator.
The demonstration drew hundreds of doctors, nurses, technicians, and cleaners, disrupting hospital services and fueling public concern over patient safety during the strike.
Background to the Strike
The protest stemmed from long-standing grievances over alleged mismanagement, salary abuse, and poor working conditions at ELWA Hospital.
Last week, the hospital’s union presented a petition to the Ministry of Health and the SIM Liberia Board, accusing management of plans to downgrade the 125-bed facility into a children’s clinic and alleging gross financial irregularities.
The petition cited the unexplained disappearance of a US$75,000 donation intended for an ambulance purchase, the hospital’s annual US$312,000 payment to SIM Liberia for electricity, and the closure of key departments including the Family Medicine Program, Eye Clinic, and GYN Clinic.
Workers said these closures reduced the hospital’s capacity and forced the withdrawal of 18 Liberian doctors since 2023.
Despite serving nearly 200 patients daily, many staffers reportedly earn less than L$30,000 ($150) a month.
“ELWA was once a prestigious hospital,” the petition stated. “But today, it is surviving on past glory while its workers live in hardship.”
Employees also complained about transportation risks, recounting the case of a nurse who fractured her leg in a motorcycle accident due to the absence of staff buses.
Minister’s Commitment
During her intervention, Dr. Kpoto described the workers’ grievances as “legitimate and deserving of urgent attention.”
“The welfare of health workers and the quality of healthcare delivery remain top priorities for the Ministry,” she said, promising to convene a roundtable discussion with SIM Liberia and the hospital’s board to chart a path forward.
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