Liberian Medical Missionary Identifies with Hospitals, Clinics

A US-based Liberian medical missionary and executive director of ACRES Community Clinic in Millsburg, Joyce Kumbah Raynes-Ogunti, has again fulfilled her yearly promise to her people by donating several essential medical equipment and drugs to government hospitals and clinics across the country.  

The distribution of the medical supplies on Monday, August 9, 2021, is part of Mrs. Raynes-Ogunti yearly medical mission and pilgrimage to Liberia.

“I have been doing this work since 1998 as a medical missionary under the regime of Dr. Peter Coleman who served as Health Minister. I will continue to serve my people regardless of whatever obstacle that comes my way. At ACRES community clinic, we are trying to help improve the lives of our people because Liberia is my home and will always be my home,” she said. 

According to her, the donation will support the government's objective to better equip hospitals and to improve care for patients.  

The equipment and supplies, Mrs. Raynes-Ogunti said, have an estimated value of over US$5,000 to get the 40-foot container filled with free medical supplies and duty free from the government.

“On behalf of My husband, Vahplahn Zeegar-Holman and the ACRES community clinic, we want to say thank you all for your dedication and hard work to our people. This is just a small token because we were blessed with a lot of things to be used for the clinic in Millsburgs. This is just to help one or two persons, which will go a long way with them. We’re very appreciative of all the hard work and everything that you are doing to keep our people alive in this country,” she said.

Mrs. Raynes-Ogunti, who is a renowned Registered Nurse and a Trauma Specialist in the United States, named some of the materials as surgical instruments, lab supplies, tables for operating rooms, beds and other equipment.

During a separate presentation of the medical supplies, the ACRES executive director disclosed that the gesture was made possible with support from her husband, Mr. Vahplahn Zeegar-Holman, and the Morgan Park Pentecostal Church in the United States to assist in equipping doctors and nurses as they attend to patients.

“It saddened me to see patients coming to the government hospital or clinic for treatment and given prescriptions to get drugs out of the medical facility and some do not even have the first cent to buy the drugs that they are told to buy. So that is what saddens my heart, but to admit, the health workers are really trying their best to help our people,” she said. 

In continuation of a similar gesture, Mrs. Raynes-Ogunti also donated several copies of the Holy Bible to the First Baptist Church, Lutheran and the United Methodist Church all in Millsburg, lower Montserrado County.

Also speaking, Dr. Sia Wata Camanor, JFK’s Chief Medical Officer, and Dr. Facia L. McCauley, acting administrator at Redemption Hospital, lauded Mrs. Raynes-Ogunti and Mr. Holman for the gesture, terming it as very important while assuring to use the donation for its intended purpose. 

“We say thank you for the lives that are going to save, especially during this time as we are recovery from COVID-19 — we say thank you for coming to our aid, your people and may God bless your hands — it is more blessed to give than to receive,” they said while receiving the items. 

Meanwhile, the beneficiary institutions include the St. Timothy Government Hospital in Grand Cape Mount County, Grand Bassa, Maryland, Sinoe, Lofa, Bomi, Gbarpolu and Margibi Counties; followed by Lofa, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru Counties as well as the Redemption Hospital, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, UL Medical School, Kebbah Community Clinic, respectively.