By: William Decent Toe (ELBC, Lower Margibi County Correspondent)
Margibi Liberia – The multiple problems that pregnant women face at Health facilities in Liberia have drawn the attention of an organization known as Pregnant Care.
The group is intervening by carrying out massive awareness to highlight what it believes is ill treatment of pregnant women at health centers across the country.
Speaking at the launch of a Counseling and Care Center in Joe Bloe Town, Margibi County over the weekend, the CEO and Vision Bearer of ‘PREGNANT CARE’ – Monica Manley narrated her ordeal about how she was manhandled and unprofessionally discussed by a nurse at a local Hospital some 15 years ago.
“Today marks the achievement of a big dream in my life. We’re all here to witness the launch of this institution aimed at caring for pregnant mothers across Liberia, but bulk of you here must be thinking about what prompted it. You won’t believe that while in my 8th to 9th month of pregnancy, I got disgraced by a nurse at the hospital simply because my child had died in my womb” said Madam Manley.
Madam Manley added “the nurse walked out of the check- up room and openly told her colleagues and all those at the facility to leave me alone with my dead child in my stomach and focus on other things. In her words, she said whether I liked it or not I would’ve been operated to remove the dead child; a situation I survived only by the mercy of God who made me to put out my dead child by myself”.
The Pregnant Care CEO said from that day onwards, she developed the dream to have a center that would exclusively care for and counsel women while in pregnancy saying “I’m grateful to God for the achievement of this dream”.
According to Madam Manley, PREGNANT CARE has come to reduce, if possible eradicate the poor and unprofessional way nurses talk and handle pregnant women cases at health facilities.
She narrated that her institution will counsel and provide all needed materials for pregnant women up to the time of their delivery.
Approximately one hundred fifty seven (157) pregnant women registered to benefit from the charity organization’s package.
Liberia’s Health Minister, Dr. Wilhelmena Jallah making brief remarks at the occasion, praised Madam Manley and her team for fighting to achieve a big dream that will save the lives of unborn babies who could end up being Presidents, ministers, doctors, among others in Liberia.
She called on adolescent girls to prevent themselves from early pregnancy in order to acquire quality education that will serve them a better future.
Also speaking at the occasion was Margibi County Senator Jim W. Tornonla who before cutting the ribbon to the PREGNANT CARE facility, lauded the women care center for choosing Margibi County ahead of other counties that could accommodate and support their kind gesture.
He promised to be supportive of the team in all aspects, especially when the direct beneficiaries are his citizens in Joeblow Town, and several other communities in Margibi County.
