The closures are part of the LMDC’s ongoing nationwide healthcare compliance initiative, which aims to ensure that all health facilities—whether public, private, or concession-operated—adhere to national standards designed to protect the health and safety.
Monrovia – The Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC) has ordered the immediate closure of several health facilities operated by concession companies Cavalla Rubber Corporation (CRC) and Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) for gross violations of national healthcare standards and failure to meet obligations under their social development agreements.
According to the LMDC, the affected facilities include CRC’s clinic in Pleebo, Maryland County, and three GVL-operated clinics located in Butaw, Tarjouwon, and Kpanyan Districts in Sinoe County.
Inspections conducted by the Council uncovered a range of serious health and safety deficiencies, including unsanitary conditions, staff shortages, absence of licensed medical professionals, and improper pharmaceutical and medical waste management.
CRC’s facility in Pleebo was found to be operating without a licensed physician, had insufficient medical personnel, lacked essential equipment, and showed signs of poor sanitation and mishandling of pharmaceutical supplies.
The situation was no better at the GVL-run clinics, where LMDC inspectors documented dangerously unhygienic conditions, no incinerators for disposing medical waste, inadequate drug inventory controls, and a lack of qualified healthcare workers.
“These findings are not just administrative failures—they are direct threats to the lives of Liberians living in concession areas,” said James-Emmanuel D. Cole, Jr., Public Relations Officer at the LMDC.
Cole emphasized that both companies have violated the healthcare provisions of their concession agreements, which legally bind them to provide essential services such as health, housing, education, and sanitation to employees and their dependents.
“For too long, local residents have been complaining about the deteriorating healthcare situation in these communities. No drugs, no doctors, and broken infrastructure have become the norm in many plantation camps,” Cole stated.
He added that previous warnings were ignored by both companies, prompting the LMDC to take enforcement action.
“We cannot allow concessionaires to continue profiting while exposing our people to unacceptable healthcare conditions. These closures are necessary and long overdue,” he said.
In light of the findings, the LMDC is calling on the Committees on Health and Concessions in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the National Bureau of Concessions, and all relevant government agencies to take immediate action to address the violations.
The closures are part of the LMDC’s ongoing nationwide healthcare compliance initiative, which aims to ensure that all health facilities—whether public, private, or concession-operated—adhere to national standards designed to protect the health and safety of Liberians.
“This action sends a strong message to all institutions operating clinics in Liberia: meet the standards, or be shut down,” Cole added.
