—- As Qatar Promises More Support for Health Sector
IPNEWS: The Minister of Public Health HE Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari has held a meeting, separately, with Minister of Health of the Republic of Liberia HE Dr. Wilhemina Jallah, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Burkina Faso HE Olivia Rwamba, who are currently visiting the Country to participate in the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5).
The two meetings reviewed relations between Qatar and each of Liberia and Burkina Faso and ways to strengthen and develop them in the health fields.
It may be recalled, President George Weah at the dedication and commissioning of the state-of-the-art Emirates Hospital in Bopolu City, Gbarpolu County on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, praised the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his effort to improve the health sector in Liberia.
“I, therefore, want to express, in this public manner, my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, for this profound act of humanitarian generosity to the People of Liberia,” the Liberian Leader said Wednesday in Gbarpolu County.
At the event in Gbarpolu County, the Western part of Liberia, a high-level delegation was present to represent the government of UAE.
The delegation was led by His Excellency Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, and included Her Excellency Dr. Aysha Sultan Aldhaheri, Executive Director of the Military Health Services of the UAE Army, among others.
President Weah said the project selection, groundbreaking, and construction of the facility can all be traced back to what he terms a selfless decision he made many years ago when he was at the peak of his soccer career.
“I made a decision to leave Europe and play for a relatively unknown team in the UAE, called AL JAZEERA. That move, you must know, was one based on the budding friendship I shared at the time with the then Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who this year became President of the United Arab Emirates,’ he said.
Weah added: “It was also based on the love that was shown to me by the Emirati citizens on the pitch. Leaving Europe at a time when my services were still being sought by many of the world’s top clubs was no small feat. But sometimes in life, it is important to put people and friendship above material gain. I am glad that I did that at that time, and I am also glad to see that that act of friendship is today yielding dividends for my country.”
According to the Liberian Leader, the construction and commissioning of the Emirates Hospital will not only help the people of Gbarpolu County to have access to quality health care but it will enable the surrounding counties (Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Bong), as well as some parts of Lower Lofa, to benefit from better health care.
He added: “It may even encourage some citizens of Sierra Leone, who are close to the Liberian border in Kongba District, to seek medical care here at this hospital.”
“I am delighted to be here today to witness the Official Dedication of the Emirates Hospital here in Bopulu City, Gbarpolu County,” he said.
The newly built Emirates Hospital in Gbarpolu County is a state-of-the-art medical facility that covers more than 52,000 (fifty-two thousand) square feet and is almost entirely powered by solar energy.
The hospital contains a 100-bed capacity for inpatients, several operating theatres, a modern laboratory, an intensive care unit (ICU), various specialized departments, and many more facilities that set it apart from other hospitals in the country.
Emirates Hospital is a Milestones for Western Liberia’s Gbarpolu County Bomi County and Grand Cape Mount Counties in the Western part of Liberia have poor healthcare facilities.
President Weah speaking stressed that the hospital is a great help for not only Gbarpolu County but the entire Western region.
President Weah furthers: “The hospital marks an important milestone for the people of this region. It is a well-known fact that, historically, Gbarpolu County has been one of the Counties with limited access to health care.”
He said: “The inauguration of the Emirates Hospital today is a further manifestation of my government’s commitment to improving the quality of health services in Liberia by expanding health coverage to our rural population.”
The construction of Emirates Hospital in Gbarpolu County brings to a total of three entirely new hospitals that have been built and opened during the five years of President Weah’s administration.
Gbandeya Hospital in Rivercess County, the 14 Military Hospital in Margibi County and now Emirates Hospital, Gbarpolu are the three hospitals hospital built during Weah’s administration.
Promise Made During Last Year’s County Tour
President Weah last year during his county tour visited Gbarpolu County and after several interactions with the locals, he chose the county as the rightful location for the construction of the hospital.
“When I stopped here more than a year ago during my County Tour, it was easy to spot the historical deficit that Gbarpolu County has suffered in infrastructure and healthcare. It was therefore never a difficult decision to choose Gbarpolu as the location for this hospital complex,” he said.
President also thanks the Management and Staff of Intbox Global Building Contracting LLC, Dubai, UAE, the construction company that built this facility only 14 months from groundbreaking, despite the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, and its sub-contractor, Horizon Construction Company of Equatorial Guinea.
