Liberia: JFK Regrets Collapsed Fence Disaster
The Management of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Medical Center, through its Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jerry Fahnloe Brown, has expressed regrets over the unfortunate situation of the collapse of a portion of the fence that surrounds the Medical Center, specifically the 20th street side.
The incident, according to a release from the hospital, occurred during the heavy downpour of rain in the early morning hours of June 5th, leaving three residents of the area to sustain minor injuries after the fence fell on the house in which they reside.
Yesterday's incident mirrors a similar situation in 2014 when a portion of the hospital’s fence was broken down by flood due to its undermining by surface water. However, there was no injury then.
The victims, which include two adults and a child, are currently admitted to the trauma unit at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center. They are also in a very stable condition and undergoing doctors’ observation.
The Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr. Brown, expressed regrets on behalf of the JFK Management and described the situation as unfortunate. Dr. Brown indicated that the Management of the hospital has been trying to avoid such a situation by rehabilitating a significant portion of the fence.
He said the engineers who previously constructed the fence created a path for water to pass in case of heavy rainfall but those paths were blocked by Community dwellers who have caused the water to undermine the concrete of the fence.
The JFK CEO also met with the family heads of the victims who were involved in the disaster as well as the Community Chairman to discuss modalities to relocate members of the affected families and get engineers at the JFK to do an assessment and carry out renovation works on the houses that got damaged. A team from the Disaster Management Agency was also called on the scene by the JFK CEO.
The Minister of Finance Development Planning (Head of the Cabinet) Samuel D. Tweah, Jr. and the Minister of Health Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah (JFK Board Chair), also arrived on the scene later and identified with the victims.