THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2015

Partners in Liberia pledge to make the John F. Kennedy Medical Center a referral Hospital and the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company’s plan to undertake a US$9.5 million project to expand and rehabilitate the Ganta Oil Terminal in Nimba County are stories dominating our summary of today’s local dailies.

Also highlighted are the African & Caribbean Business Council’s donation of US$1.5 million dollars worth of assorted medical items to the Ministry of Health and the Japanese Government’s 8,000 metric tons of rice donation to the Government of Liberia.

DOMINANT STORIES

Partners Pledge To Make JFK Referral Hospital -President Sirleaf Discloses, Assures Liberians that JFK is Open and Functional

According to the Daily Observer, as the process leading to post-Ebola reconstruction virtually begins, the international community and partners have begun to figure out how to assist Liberia’s recovery plans. Several partners have pledged to assist in fixing Liberia’s fragile health system, according to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf yesterday. She disclosed that some partners, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have committed to work with the management of the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Medical Center and the Ministry of Health to make sure that it is upgraded to a primary referral hospital. She made the disclosure when she took a guided tour of the facility Monday morning to see the progress of the on-going reconstruction exercise at the center.  “One of the things we have been working on with our partners is to make sure that after Ebola we will upgrade all our hospitals and health centers. JFK is a primary and historical one for us,” she said. The Liberian government and partners are making major investments in the hospital and will not allow the hospital to be destroyed, said the President.

Related Captions: President Sirleaf Visits J.F. K. Center(The New Dawn), Pres. Sirleaf Commends J.F.K-Says She’s Pleased With Service Delivery There(INSIGHT)

LPRC Plans US$9.5M Expansion Of Ganta Oil Terminal

The Newsnewspaper reports that the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) plans to undertake a US$9.5 million project to expand and rehabilitate the Ganta Oil Terminal in Nimba County next month. Managing Director T. Nelson Williams disclosed that negotiations are ongoing for the project which includes an administrative building, pump house and pump accessories, firefighting and foam system, among others.

Related Captions: LPRC Unveils Plans To Boost Petrol Sector( In Profile Daily), LPRC TO Complete Largest Crude Oil Terminal Next Month( The Inquirer)

ACBC Donates US$1.5M Medical Items To Health Ministry -As Ministry Now Contemplates on Building A ‘Resilient Post-Ebola Health Sector’

The African & Caribbean Business Council (ACBC) has donated over one million dollars worth of assorted medical items to the Ministry of Health. Officers of the ACBC, which is a Pennsylvania State non-profit corporation, headquartered in Philadelphia, donated the six 40-foot containers of medical items valued at US$1.5 million, Monday, March 23. Speaking to journalists after presenting two of the containers to the Liberian government, through the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs, Ms. Christine Maycole, a US-based Liberian and a staff of ACBC, said it is part of her responsibility to help rebuild her country’s broken health and education sectors. Ms. Maycole was one of the pushers behind the medical supplies coming to Liberia, as the nation now battles the deadly Ebola virus.  According to her, in the containers are 2.5 million syringes, gloves, and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to help health workers, she disclosed. Speaking earlier, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Elias Shoninyan, said the donation, containing 2.5 million syringes and others, would still continue to be at health facilities even after the Ebola crisis. “I just want to say to the African & Caribbean Business Council that the Government of Liberia truly appreciates the gesture,” Acting Min. Shoninyan said. He further stated that by the ACBC’s donation, they have just signed themselves to a “very long rewarding partnership with the Government and people of Liberia”. Deputy Minister for Administration at the Health Ministry, Mr. Matthew Flomo also stated that the Ministry was “overjoyed” to receive the six 40-foot containers of medical items. “We know that ACBC is here to help us”. Dep. Min. Flomo assured the ACBC team that as the country gradually moves toward the restoration of basic health service initiatives, the donated items would be used to help strengthen the health sector. Also speaking, Dr. Saye Dahn Bawo, Assistant Health Minister for Curative Services, stated that there was no better time for the donation to come to Liberia other than now.   “The donation is timely; we need syringes, gloves even more. We want to make sure that no health worker dies again in any of our health facilities,” Dr. Bawo added, reports the Daily Observer.

Related Caption: Huge Relief Liberia’s Health Sector Receives US$1.5m Materials(FrontPage Africa)

Japanese Donated 8,000 Metric Tons Of Rice Arrives In Liberia

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, a vessel mark, M/V Tao Ace V-36701, containing 8,000 metric tons of rice donated by the Government of Japan offloaded at the Freeport of Monrovia Monday, March 23. The offloading brought together several Government officials, including the Ministers of Commerce, Agriculture and members of the House committee on Commerce and Rice importers in the country. Speaking at the Program, Commerce Minister Axel Addy said it was a pleasure to receive the rice as it is geared toward empowering local farmers in the country. “The donation targets poor investment that is why the Japan Government believes that Liberia has the power to Agriculture, and if you empower people to produce food you don’t have to face food security problem” said Minister Addy.  He said proceeds from the rice will improve the livelihood of farmers and Liberians as a whole.   

Related Caption: Japan Donates 8,000 Metric Tones Of Rice(New Democrat)

OTHER STORIES

U.S. Embassy Official Challenges Liberian Journalists

An official at U.S. Embassy near Monrovia has underscored the need for Liberian journalists to build a strong democratic society through the dissemination of adequate and reliable information to the Liberian people. Deputy Chief of Mission Sheila Paskman noted that democracy cannot work if people do not know what is going on, noting that one of the things about democracy is the need  for the participation of every single person in the society. Madam Paskman made the remarks Friday at the opening of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) Annual Congress held in the auditorium of the University of Liberia in Monrovia, the News newspaper.

 EU Funds ECOWAS Parliament Management Software

The New Republic newspaper asserts that the European Union has funded the provision and installation of modern and sophisticated software for the internal management system of the ECOWAS Parliament to the tune of 2.48 million.  The software, ECOLink is expected to eliminate weaknesses in procurement system, internal controls, financial reporting and external audit through the discarding the manual process. The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu speaking at the launch of ECOLink in Abuja, also noted that the development would reduce overhead costs.

MSF Opens Hundred Bed Room Hospital In District#12

A hundred bedroom pediatric hospital has been open in district #12, Montserrado County with a call for proper maintenance and care to patients. At the official opening of the hospital in Gardnersville, Liberia’s Vice President Joseph Boakai thanked MSF France for the initiative and promised Government continue commitment to uphold the partnership with MSF. Ambassador Boakai also said the hospital facilities would be use by the Government to train health workers across the Country. Also speaking at the opening ceremony Montserrado County District #12 Representative Richmond Anderson lauded the efforts of MSF France in improving the health sector of Liberia. For his part MSF Country Philip Lauguan disclosed that the hospital will initially cater to Children under the age of five with a future plan to include adults, West Africa INFO POST reports.

Accept The Reemergence Of Ebola – President Sirleaf Tells Liberians

The INSIGHT newspaper says President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has urged Liberians to accept the reemergence of Ebola after the country had gone three weeks without a single case. President Sirleaf was speaking in reference to the new confirmed case of a 53-year-old woman of Caldwell community who began showing signs and symptoms of Ebola and was later confirmed at the Redemption hospital in New Kru Town. President Sirleaf said reemergence is the nature of the virus and as such Liberians should expect its reemergence.

ADRA Commits To Post-Ebola Recovery

A delegation from the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA)-International has pledged commitment to support Liberia’s post-Ebola recovery. The Head of a three member ADRA delegation to Liberia, Frank Brenda, has disclosed that the organization intends to support the Liberian government in its post-Ebola recovery, particularly in rebuilding the health and education sectors with emphasis on reintroducing the school feeding program and revitalization of the agriculture sector. Speaking to reporters over the weekend in Bulorquelleh community, one of the worst Ebola affected areas in Margibi County where the ADRA team had gone to distribute educational materials among Ebola orphans and survivors, Mr. Brenda underscored the need for such support to a country like Liberia whose entire health sector has been ravaged as the result of the outbreak of the Ebola Virus, the New Dawn writes.