Monrovia, Liberia – The United Nations High Commission on Refugees through the UN Resident Coordinator to Liberia, Madam Christine Umutoni has donated several assorted items to the Liberian government’s largest referral health center, JFK Memorial Hospital and the Monrovia Central Prison.
The entire team of the UN Refugee Agency, accompanied by the UN RC Madam Umutoni visited both the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital and the Monrovia Central Prison on Thursday, December 21, 2023 in Monrovia to exercise goodwill.
Items donated to the health facility include, 700 pieces of thermal (fleece) blankets, 200 pieces of heavy duty plastic bucket, 3,500 pieces of laundry soap and 600 ‘sachest’ of powder soap.
Others are 5,000 pairs of hand gloves, 150 pieces of mosquito net, 500 bottles of hand sanitizer (500ml), 50 pieces of solar lamp (portable led) and 5 pieces of dry erase board.
Solar lamps were not provided by the UN Refugee Agency, although comparable products were provided to Monrovia Central Prison.
The UNHCR’s donated goods were accepted by Madam Christine Umutoni, the UN Resident Coordinator for Liberia. She stated that the act is in line with human rights action and guarantees that people are comfortable wherever they are.
As she pointed out, the action is also a means for the UN family to connect with both inmates at different detention centres and patients at the JFK and other medical facilities throughout Liberia’s holiday season.
“We are here as UN family but this is a donation from the UNHCR and this is meant to share with the people. Please tell them that we wish them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
The UNHCR through the UN Resident Coordinator further urged the management teams of both JFK and Monrovia Central Prison to ensure that the items serve the main purpose and reach the various wards or departments.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the JFK Memorial Hospital, the facility Director of Nursing, Madam Roselyn Nugba Ballah lauded the UN family especially the United Nations Refugee Agency for identifying with the hospital.
According to her, the gesture is neither the first nor the second time, stressing that the UN body has always stood by the hospital and other health facilities across the country.
“I mean just gazing through the list, the thermal blankets will do a lot and they’re going to be a great help to our patients and the lamp will help with the temporary outage of electricity at the health facility.”
The hospital Director of Nursing also assured the entire UN family that the items donated will sufficiently be used for the intended purpose, terming the donation as timely and significant.
Reported by: Blamo N. Toe
Contact: +231775963245/+231880320363
Email: blamotoe93@gmail.com
