Published: October 6, 2025
MONROVIA — House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon on Thursday dedicated a newly built $31,000 incinerator at John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFKMC), describing the project as a crucial step toward improving waste management at Liberia’s largest referral hospital.
Koon, who represents Montserrado County District 11, called JFK “the nation’s final hope for medical care” and said the hospital’s allocation in the next national budget would increase to address its pressing needs.
“The amount we contributed is about $31,000, and even though I don’t know the value of the bricks, if you combined all, the total amount exceeds that,” Koon said during the ceremony.
He also pledged to relocate students of the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA) — who currently occupy patient wards — to a dedicated facility within the next budget year, freeing up more space for patients.
“We will ensure that the students move into their own building in the next budget year,” Koon said.
JFK Lauds Support from Koon and Firestone
JFK Chief Executive Officer Dr. Linda A. Birch praised Koon for championing the project, calling him “a lawmaker who values both cleanliness and health.”
“You cannot serve and treat people while your surrounding is not healthy,” Birch said.
She explained that before the incinerator was built, the hospital spent thousands of dollars each month on private waste disposal. The new system, she said, has significantly reduced costs and improved hygiene standards.
Birch also credited Firestone Liberia for donating more than 15,000 bricks and covering transportation costs — contributions she said made the project possible.
“When you have supportive leaders, you are bound to succeed,” she added, thanking President Joseph N. Boakai and the JNB Foundation for donating medical equipment to the hospital.
‘Timely Leadership’ Praised
JFK Chief Medical Officer Dr. John E. Tamba said the project began in April 2025 after Koon toured the hospital and committed to tackling its waste-management challenges.
“After a brief tour, the speaker decided to tackle one of our most urgent problems,” Tamba said. “At that time, we were spending over US$7,000 monthly on waste management.”
A Firestone Liberia representative hailed the hospital’s transformation, saying the facility is now visibly cleaner and better maintained.
Dr. Cuallau William Jabbah Howe, the Ministry of Health’s assistant minister for preventive services, applauded JFK’s management and the speaker for addressing one of the sector’s most pressing challenges.
“Getting rid of medical waste is a major challenge for the health sector,” Howe said. “We are proud that our premier hospital is standing up to this challenge.”
The new incinerator, fully funded by Koon’s office, marks a significant improvement in JFK’s environmental health management and signals broader modernization plans for Liberia’s leading public hospital.
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