YEKЕPA, Nimba County — A 15-member delegation from the United States Military Tropical Medicine Program (MTM) has visited ArcelorMittal Liberia’s Yekepa Hospital to assess its medical capacity and explore potential academic, clinical and community health partnerships.
The delegation visited the facility Friday as part of its engagement with Liberia’s healthcare system, where the program has worked with several medical and military institutions since establishing its mission in the country in 2017.
During the visit, the delegation assessed the hospital’s staffing, clinical services, equipment and patient-care environment, while examining its role in providing healthcare services to communities in Nimba County.
The delegation was received by hospital administrators, including Head of Social Services Charlesetta Peters and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Garfee Williams.
The visiting team was led by Dr. Nehkonti Adams, a Liberian-born retired U.S. military service member involved with the Military Tropical Medicine Program.
Adams said the program prepares military medical personnel to recognize, prevent and manage infectious and tropical diseases in environments where they may be deployed.
“U.S. military personnel are deployed to countries around the world, some of which are endemic for infectious and tropical diseases,” Adams said. “Military medical staff need to be proficient in identifying and managing tropical medicine cases within military health facilities and during humanitarian missions.”
She said exposure to different levels of healthcare delivery is an important component of the program’s training because military medical personnel may operate in countries with health systems and disease patterns different from those in the United States.
Since beginning its Liberia mission in 2017, MTM has established working relationships with the Armed Forces of Liberia and several healthcare and public health institutions.
They include ELWA Hospital, John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Phebe Hospital, the Bong County Health Team, Ganta Methodist Hospital and Ganta Rehab.
The program’s activities have covered several specialized medical and public health areas, including entomology, phlebotomy, HIV/AIDS management, Basic Life Support and CPR, as well as Point-of-Care Ultrasound.
Adams said the decision to visit Yekepa Hospital was based partly on information about the facility’s role in providing healthcare to a large population in and around ArcelorMittal Liberia’s operational area.
“We are always looking to work with new organizations that provide excellent care for the local community,” she said. “We were told that ArcelorMittal was providing care for a large catchment area and should consider visiting to learn more about their operations and community impact.”
According to Adams, the visit also allowed members of the delegation to understand how a private-sector-supported hospital operates within Liberia’s broader healthcare system.
“From an academic perspective, we try to expose our students to all the levels of healthcare facilities in Liberia. They visit community clinics, rural mid-sized hospitals and private, well-resourced facilities,” she said.
“From a planning perspective, they also need to know how to navigate the health system if someone on their team becomes ill. A visit to AML Yekepa satisfied both of these requirements.”
The visit comes as ArcelorMittal Liberia continues to upgrade healthcare facilities in Yekepa and Buchanan, including improvements to hospital infrastructure, surgical capacity, medical equipment and staffing.
The company has recruited additional doctors, nurses and other medical personnel as it seeks to expand the capacity of its hospitals to handle a broader range of medical cases.
In Yekepa, the hospital serves employees as well as communities surrounding the company’s mining operations in Nimba County, where access to some specialized medical services remains limited.
Adams said the hospital could become a partner in future academic exchanges, professional training and community health programs.
“AML Yekepa could be a partner in bilateral academic exchange and also community health engagements,” she said. “We could assist with public health education, staff training and other community projects.”
Potential cooperation could include public health education, disease prevention, clinical and emergency response training, medical skills development and community-based health initiatives.
Adams praised the hospital’s staff following the delegation’s assessment of the facility.
“AML Hospital staff were welcoming and enthusiastic. It appears well resourced and has great facilities,” she said.
The visit could pave the way for further discussions between the U.S. Military Tropical Medicine Program and ArcelorMittal Liberia on possible collaboration in medical training, knowledge sharing and community health programs.
