LIBERIA: WaterAid provides improved water services to 4 Health Centers in Montserrado
By: WASH R&E “Media” Network – WaterAid Liberia and Sierra Leone in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Liberia is to provide four health centers in Montserrado County with improved water system under its “WASH in Health Facility Project”.
Shalom Incorporated Executive Director, Pate Chan in Camenga Town, Margibi County, new hand pump funded by WaterAid
The four health centers located in rural Montserrado are the Kpallah Community Clinic in VOA-1 in Brewerville, the Bromley Clinic in Virginia, the Careysburg Health Center in Careysburg District and the Nyehn Health Center in Todee District.
The improved water system at the four centers by WaterAid is done in partnership with the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Health Ministry involved in the rehabilitation of damaged water facilities as well as the construction new ones.
Three of the four water towers are being constructed at the Kpalleh, Bromley and Careysburg Health facilities, while the water tower at the Nyehn Health Center was rehabilitated under WaterAid’s WASH in Health Facility Project.
WaterAid Team Leader for Liberia & Sierra Leone, Chuchu Selma presenting a generator to the Kpallah Community Clinic in Brewerville, Montserrado County Health Team Administrator, Satta McKay & the Clinic OIC, Wislyne Sieh
Existing hand pumps at the facilities were upgraded to provide the centers with sufficient water supplies.
Speaking at the Kpallah Community Clinic over the weekend in Brewerville, the Acting Team Leader of WaterAid Liberia and Sierra Leone, Chuchu Kordor Selma said the “WASH in Health Facility Project” is a four year-Initiative which has gone about three months in Liberia beginning with some Health Centers in Montserrado County.
Mr. Selma: “This Project is to ensure that all health centers across Liberia have adequate access to good water, sanitation and hygiene for the health of our people to improve, as water is life and sanitation is dignity”.
Under the four years, according to Mr. Selma, water towers will be either constructed or rehabilitated at the selected health facilities with the bore holes and hand pumps upgraded to do away with the use of fetching water from hand pumps at these health centers basically to stop using buckets for various bathroom purposes, among others.
New hand pump under construction in Barmellen Kollie Town (BKT), Margibi County implementing by Shalom Incorporated with funding from WaterAid
At the Kpallah and Careysburg Health Centers, WaterAid provided two 5-kva generators to motorize the water from the hand pump to push it into the water towers or reservoirs, while is it working to repair the generator at the Bromley Health Center.
Presenting the generators, Mr. Selma expressed hope that the generators will effectively complement the water system at the Kpallah and the Careysburg Health Centers.
He also hoped the generators be used adequately for the intended purpose as they will relief the difficulties patients, including workers at the two health centers in accessing water easily.
Careysburg Health Center hand pump for the improved water system under the WASH In Health Facility Project…under rehabilitation by WaterAid
However, the Head of WaterAid Liberia and Sierra Leone said the entity was quite confident that with the exiting partnership with the Health Ministry, many good results are to come to improve the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector at various health centers throughout the country.
“One is a 4-year Project for Liberia targeting health centers beginning with the first phase which will cost 1.5 million United States Dollars, and of that amount, the Montserrado County Health Team and WaterAid have signed a Memorandum of Understanding of 45 thousand United States Dollars”, WaterAid Team Leader for Liberia and Sierra Leone, indicated.
Mr. Selma also praised the Montserrado County Health Team for the collaboration WaterAid is getting to ensure the realization of the project at selected health centers.
WaterAid newly constructed water tower at the Bromley Health Center in Virginia
Receiving the two generators, the County Administrator of Montserrado Health Team, Satta A. M. McKay expressed thanks to WaterAid for the installation of water facilities at two of the four clinics and promised that they will be used for the intended purpose.
Turning over the generators to the Officers-In-Charge of the Kpallah community Clinic, Mrs. McKay described the partnership as important, noting that the clinic is a beneficiary of WaterAid’s gesture. She pleaded the generators be used in the interest of patients and the workforce.
For her part, the Officer-In-Charge of Kpallah community Clinic, Wislyne S. Y. Sieh described the move by WaterAid and the Health Ministry assistance to the Clinic as timely, and thanked the entity including Montserrado County Health Team and Health Ministry.
She said the assistance will improve the water system at the clinic and promised that it will be properly used and maintained.
“With this system in place, I am happy and gratified that there will be a reduction in the work of janitors who used to suffer on a daily basis to have water in the building, ranging from medical purposes to the bathroom” Madam Sieh said.
In a related development, WaterAid in partnership with a local NGO, SHALOM Incorporated has concluded a one-day Impact Assessment of its WASH Ebola Awareness in Margibi County.
SHALOM is implementing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project as well and Ebola Awareness in 46 communities in three Clans in Margibi.
SHALOM Incorporated Executive Director, Pate Chan said during the heat of the Ebola outbreak, Ebola prevention materials were distributed among residents of the 46 communities.
Mrs. Chan said currently, SHALOM with funding from WaterAid is constructing one hand pump each in the towns of Camenga and Barmellen Kollie for residents to have access to safe drinking water.
Camenga has a population of over six hundred residents, while Barmellen Kollie Town (BKT) has a population of little over five hundred persons.
On the Ebola awareness, Mrs. Chan praised dwellers of the 46 communities for adhering to the various Ebola protocols they were taught because Ebola buckets were seen at every home.
In a brief statement, WaterAid Team Leader, Chuchu Selma, cautioned residents of these communities to take ownership of the hand pumps by maintaining them to ensure they always have access to safe drinking water.
