Dr. Willicor Director of Ganta  Hospital expresses gratitude

Expressing gratitude – After several months battling the spread of Ebola in Liberia, Dr. Albert Willicor, Medical Director at Ganta United Methodist Hospital in Nimba county, sends his thanks and a few positive notes. 

January 6, 2014

Dear Ministry Partners,

Warm greetings to you from Liberia where I serve as a Global Ministries missionary assigned as Medical Director for Ganta United Methodist Hospital. In this hour of great distress in Liberia, it is our humble duty to acknowledge and appreciate those who responded with kindness, favor, sympathy and encouragement. In the name of our Lord, from whom all things come, we extend profound gratitude for your prayers, and letters of hope. Your emotional and material support truly helped to fill a great void and strengthen our resolve. I cannot end but mention a great gift that came at a most opportune time – a handy camera from Global Ministries’ Missionary Support Unit in New York! I am using it to share about my ministry!

Lab technicians with specimen

A poor and collapsed health care

The Ebola crisis quickly exposed the weaknesses of Liberia’s health care delivery system. As soon as the crisis began, there was a virtual collapse of the system. For instance, hospitals and clinics closed as soon as health care workers, who were at greatest risk, began to die. They included nurses, medical students and doctors. The disease spared nobody. Families and whole communities were wiped out. Foreign doctors left the country. This included doctors that worked with us here at Ganta Hospital. The situation was bleak. This presented a dilemma. To also leave would have signaled the closure of our hospital, and all things that followed.

Filling the gap

Ganta Hospital has remained open (throughout the crisis) providing general and surgical services. Ours is the only hospital in a region serving 450,000+ subsistence farming families that remained open to the public throughout the crisis. Safety measures put in place were religiously followed. Suspected cases were quickly picked up, isolated and referred. Though we encountered two confirmed cases, there has been no death from Ebola of hospital workers in Ganta Hospital; even while we remain open through the crisis! Our vigilance and your timely prayers and ongoing partnership, no doubt, helped to shield our workers from the deadly Ebola.

Health workers operating in protective equipment

Sporadic cases continue to breakout in isolated pockets. This is a clear sign that the crisis is not yet over, even though it is now at its lowest ebb. This situation has understandably generated natural fear in countries not affected by the Ebola virus disease, and have instituted measures restricting entry or movement in their countries. In my case where itineration requires me to live with families and mingle with congregations. Thus, my presence here is still necessary because of the flight of doctors, I think it is prudent to postpone itineration until the region is declared free of Ebola.

Our mission impact

Our ethical and moral mandate is to provide quality, affordable health services for subsistence farming families. As we strive to provide healthcare, we cannot charge realistic fees to a public too poor to afford unbearable fees. However, until Liberia’s economy improves and the annual income for subsistence farming families (70% of the population are subsistence farmers earning less than $900.00 annually), we will maintain our operations as they are. We are thankful to all of you who help in our efforts to prayerfully discern diversified and creative ways to subsidize our operational budget while remaining true to our moral mandate.

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Routine hand washing