By By: The People News
With support from the African Population and Health Research Center, Sister Aid Liberia has held a dialogue with the Legislature joint Health Committee, revealing a significant development regarding the public the health bill in Liberia. Senator Dabah M. Varpilah, chair on Health Committee, committing to reviewing the bill, especially with the involvement of civil society organizations like Sister Aid Liberia and health professionals working towards making sure the bill gets the attention it needs in the Senate.
This commitment comes after a Joint Health Committee of the Liberian Legislature, on Friday, January 31, 2025, conducted a comprehensive assessment visit to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, in fulfillment of its oversight mandate. The visit aimed to evaluate the current operational status of the country’s largest referral hospital.
Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Linda Birch, led the tour where the Joint Health Committee identified critical areas where immediate intervention is imperative. The hands-on understanding was concluded with a brief meeting with Sister Aid being the only CSO in attendence, revealing urgent needs for equipment and facilities to enhance maternal healthcare services.
Dr. Linda Birch emphases budgetary increment and noted specific deficiencies that require immediate attention to ensure optimal patient care such as 1000kva standby generator, huge CT Scan machine, oxtra sounds, among others.
Significant shortages were observed, posing challenges to the hospital’s ability to provide adequate healthcare services. Equipment shortages were identified, impacting the hospital’s capacity to monitor and treat patients effectively.
Concerns were raised regarding the support and facilities available for high-risk maternal cases.
The Joint Committee led by Senator Dabah M. Varpilah, promised to increase relationship with the hospital and urged the administration to identify key project for implementation every year.
However, according to Varpilah, the abortion component of the public health bill is becoming a contentious issue. The concern around it could be impacting the bill’s progress, especially if it’s being labeled primarily as an “abortion bill.” It’s clear that a sensitive and balanced approach will be needed to address such concerns, while still focusing on the broader goals of improving public health.
Senator Varpilah’s comments suggest that she’s open to dialogue and feedback from professionals in the sector, which could help balance the various concerns surrounding the bill. Her acknowledgment that “abortion component is just a small part of the bill might help shift the focus back to the broader”, more pressing issues in public health, like improving maternal care and hospital infrastructure.
Rep. Julie Fatorma Wiah, who is the chair on Health Committee at the House of Representatives, highlights how the public health bill is addressing a wide range of urgent health issues, beyond the controversial abortion clause. The focus on emerging diseases like Ebola, Macburg, and COVID-19 underscores the bill’s relevance in preparing Liberia’s health system for future challenges.
Amelia Siaffa, Acting Executive Director of Sister Aid Liberia, acknowledged Senator Varpilah’s openness and willingness to engage with Sister Aid Liberia. Regular communication between lawmakers and civil society groups like Sister Aid is key to ensuring that the bill reflects the needs of the communities it aims to serve. This ongoing dialogue could help keep the focus on practical, impactful solutions in the health sector, rather than letting the controversy around specific clauses derail progress.
Siaffa’s remarks emphasizes how the public health bill’s impact extends far beyond women and girls, affecting the entire country. “The commitment to bring health workers together to revisit the bill is a positive step, as it shows a willingness to include all relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process”, she said.
Her point underscores the importance of viewing the bill in its entirety and not letting one contentious issue overshadow the broader benefits it could bring to the entire population. Her call for unity and collaboration in revisiting the bill suggests a pragmatic approach to moving forward.
In February 2020, President George Weah submitted the Revised Health Bill to the Legislature, which among others, seeks to address current and future challenges as well as integrate the separate laws governing the public health system.
The Plenary of the House of Representatives passed the bill on July 21, 2022, on the recommendation of the joint committee on Health and Judiciary, and forwarded it to the Senate for concurrence.
Meanwhile, Senator Dabah has committed to calling for a public Hearing to decide the fate of the Draft Bill.
