By Patrick Stephen Tokpah
Totota, Bong County-A faith based humanitarian organization “Tabitha Foundation for Jesus Christ” has broken ground for over four hundred and six thousand ($4,6000.00USD) United States Dollars Health facility in Totota Lower Bong County.
Tabitha is a biblical name which is in Acts chapter 9:36 of the Holy Bible which says: ‘In Joppa there was a woman named Tabitha, who was a believer. ( Her name in Greek is Dorcas, meaning “a deer.”) She spent all her time doing good and helping the poor.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of the Health Center on July 17, 2021 in Totota in Lower Bong County, the program manager for Tabitha Foundation for Jesus Christ, Amos E. S. Smith said the decision of the organization to do health center project in Totota is based on a request from the citizens begging their organization to help them as citizens to built a public health center in the area.
According to Mr. Smith, the citizens in their request said the current health facility in Totota can not host the growing health need of patients in the area.
The Tabitha Foundation for Jesus Christ program manager said their organization is hugely involved in humanitarian assistance in Bong County.
He further said the faith based humanitarian organization is currently working in five of Bong County seven political Districts, adding we are doing different projects in those Districts.
According to Mr. Smith, the Totota Health Center when completed it will be name the “Mary Horton Memorial Health Center” on ground that the land which the facility is being built on belong to Mary Horton who is now a deceased.
“When we were arranging for this place Ma Mary Horton last request she made to us was that the Health Center should be name in her honor and we agreed; so this health facility will be name Mary Horton Memorial Health Center,” Mr. Smith noted.
Mr. Smith further revealed that the architecture design of the health facility is being provided by the Ministry of Health, noting that Ministry of Health regional engineer for Bong, Nimba and Lofa Counties is playing a supervisory role in the construction of center.
Also speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony in Totota, the Chief Executive Officer of ‘Tabitha Foundation for Jesus Christ’, Representative Edward Kerfiah revealed that even though Totota which is in Salala District#6 doesn’t fall under electoral District#5 which he represents at the 54th National Legislature, but said it was necessary to construct a health center for the citizens in area, because they too deserve a better health care delivery system as citizens of his District.
Rep. Kerfiah clarified that the project is void of politics, noting a kind giving to the people of Salala District.
The People Unification Party (PUP) Lawmaker at the same time called on local authorities in Salala District#6 to monitor the project and guide the ongoing construction.
For his part, the health officer of the Bong County Health Team, Dr. Jonathan Flomo said the health team is happy for the initiative.
According to Dr. Flomo, data from the Reporting Platform of the Ministry of Health on the Totota Clinic from April to June is 287 deliveries, adding if you see the facility which I am talking about, it doesn’t represent Totota.
According to Dr. Flomo, the Reporting Platform of the Ministry of Health which is quarterly done, also captured the number 248 pregnant women and 2,74 children who attend the health facility from April to June 2021.
The Bong County Health Team Officer said he decided to bring those data because some unscrupulous individual have been involved in some irresponsible comments that why the health facility should be built in Totota.
Dr. Flomo pledged the Ministry of Health commitment and thank Rep. Kerfiah for the initiative.
According to Dr. Flomo, Totota has the population of 27,209 persons in Lower Bong County.
In separate remarks, citizens of the District#6 thanked Rep. Kerfiah and his family for their swift respond to their concern through his organization Tabitha Foundation for Jesus Christ.
The Salala District citizens, at the same time revealed that it is the first of it kind for a sitting Lawmaker in the County to provide such relief for citizens outside of his District.
However, the citizens pledged their commitment to supporting the project, while turning it as a dream come true.
The Totota Health Center groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Nimba County Senator Jeremiah Koung, Margibi County Senator J. Emmanuel Nuquay, Nimba County Representative and Chairman of the PUP, Samuel Kogar, Lofa County Representative Clarence Massaquoi, Bong County District#3 Representative J. Marvin Cole, former Deputy Speaker and Bong County District#1 Representative Tokpah J. Mulbah, former Bong County District#3 Representative George S. Mulbah amongst others.
Meanwhile, construction work immediately begun on the facility few minutes after the groundbreaking.
The Totota Health Center groundbreaking ceremony generated or raised little over two hundred and ten thousand United States Dollars in cash.
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