On April 29, 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated much needed medical equipment and supplies to the Tubmanburg Hospital. The Tubmanburg hospital is a government owned facility and the only referral hospital in Tubmanburg, the capital of Bomi County in Western Cluster Liberia. The Church also renovated the hospital building.
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At a donation ceremony at the Hospital, the Church was represented by President Prince Sonpon Nyanforh of the Monrovia Liberia Virginia Stake. Elder Lee Trapani and Sister Cheryl Trapani, humanitarian missionaries for the Church, and Salomie Weah, National Communication Director, were also in attendance.
The Church funded substantial renovation of the hospital building that included the replacement of louvered windows with sliding glass windows, and the replacement of damaged doors and ceramic floor tiles throughout the medical facility. Additionally, roofs, ceilings, and walls were repaired.
Donated medical equipment included 100 bed frames and mattresses, nebulizers, defibrillators, ultrasound machines, x-ray machines, and ECG machines. In the neonatal care unit, the Church donations included cribs for infants, an obstetric labor table, and birthing chair.
The administrator of the hospital, Joseph F. Kanneh, thanked the church for their contributions to the hospital and noted that they had no way of repaying the church, but that God has his own rewards. “This is the way of a true church, you not only win a soul, but you save many lives as well. You might look at this to be little, but in the sight of God it is great, you have done a great thing, and we appreciate it, and to our brethren in Christ we say thank you,” he said.
Kanneh also noted how important this donation was to the community. "A hospital must be tidy, and this place was not like this. When the patients see their surroundings clean, it makes them feel good, and when they're smelling fresh air, it also helps them to heal more quickly. When these things are not in place, for them to get better takes a much longer time.”
Elder Trapani noted in his remarks that the Church does not receive money from the government, nor does it take donations from large companies and organizations. “The money for these donations come from individual members of our Church from throughout the world and here in Liberia. They donate because they love God, and they love their fellow man and want to do good.”
In his remarks, President Nyanforh President Nyanforh admonished the administration and staff of the hospital to properly care for the new buildings and to carefully maintain the equipment. “We ask you to maintain the cleanliness of the facility. Also, speak softly and treat patients with dignity because it helps speed up their healing process.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony the hospital administration and staff presented the Church leaders with a certificate of appreciation.