Senate Uncovers Multiple Snags …As Heavy Reliance On Volunteers, Shortage Of Specialists Awash Ten Counties

By: Barclay Karnley Jr
MONROVIA: The Senate Committee on Health has wrapped up a health assessment toured of ten of Liberia’s fifteen counties.

The Health Committee, in its formal report submitted to the Senate Plenary, which is the highest decision-making body of the Upper House of Liberia’s bicameral Legislature, revealed that during the tour, it discovered a number of challenges that the nation’s health sector currently faces.



The Committee’s Chairman, who is also Grand Cape Mount County Senator, Dabbah M. Varpilah, disclosed that members the Senate Health Committee visited Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Margibi, Bong, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Maryland, Grand Kru, and Sinoe Counties.



She explained that the objective of the counties tour was to assess service delivery, staff welfare, medicines, and health infrastructure.


Senator Varpilah disclosed that the Committee discovered that the health sector relies heavily on volunteers and that the Committee found few waiting homes for pregnant women in remote areas, acute shortage of specialist doctors, inadequate ambulances, unpaid health workers, among many others.


In its report, the Committee called for an increase in the national health budget to build and upgrade facilities, buy medical supplies, hire and retain qualified staffs, and expand emergency services.



The Committee says it will extend the assessment to the remaining five counties to complete the national picture.

The Senate Health Committee wrapped up the health assessment tour of the ten counties with the report indicating that despite the challenges, some progress has been made although more investments are needed in the health sector including increased budgetary allocation to keep the Liberian health sector on par with other African countries.

Senator Varpilah disclosed that there exists progress in the sector, noting that River Gee recorded zero maternal deaths from July 2026 to the time of the assessment.

She also disclosed that a modern oxygen plant is under construction in Grand Kru County and that there has been no report of stock-outs of essential medicines during the visits.