Harsh Treatment in Liberia

Native Virginian, Sara Shanley is interning with SFCG Liberia. She is working towards a graduate degree at American University where she studies comparative and regional studies in Africa with a concentration on youth in development and conflict resolutions. She has previously spent time in Uganda doing health development work. Currently she is working with SFCG’s Talking Drum Studio in Liberia to conduct focus groups concerning the recent government initiative that directs health practitioners to provide free medical care to pregnant women and children under five. SFCG previously conducted survey in different districts in Bong County and the focus groups are meant to follow-up with the earlier investigation.

By Sara Shanley
June 28

We finished up with the focus groups today. Our main concern has been the care and treatment that patients receive at clinics. The main complaint, we heard is the attitude of nurses. Some pregnant women reported having to cut grass before being seen at the clinic. Others have been the first to the clinic in the morning, but because they do not have to pay and because they do not have a contact in the clinic they are forced to wait all day long. The nurses berate women who bring sick children, for not coming sooner. Pregnant teenagers are chastised for getting pregnant too young. One group of women even got nervous about giving their names when we told them that we would also do interviews with nurses and doctors. They feared that we would tell the practitioners and that this would result in their being denied treatment in the future.

Drug access is also a problem. Government clinics and often poorly supplied and women must purchase drugs at local pharmacies. This report contrasts sharply with the assertion from doctors and nurses that they have an amply drug supply. Corruption often supplies the answer to this discrepancy. Apparently, some of the nurses and doctors make deals with pharmacies to get a cut of profits if they send them patients to buy drugs rather than getting them for free at the government clinic.

One of the things that most astonished me was the fact that mothers are required to bring their own alcohol, tissues, and Clorox to the clinic when they give birth. If they do not bring these, they must go back to town to buy it before they can come give birth. After the birth the woman who gave birth or the family must use the Clorox to clean up.

The women we spoke with said they are afraid to complain about the state of health care, again, for fear of being refused treatment.

Next week we will finalize our report from the surveys, focus groups, and interviews of health practitioners and send our recommendations to the health department. All of the women answered with a resounding “yes!” when we asked if they would be willing to pay more if it increased the quality of care that they received at clinics; but I’m not sure that simply increasing the amount paid will fix the attitudes of the nurses and the agreements between nurses and pharmacies. Policy and training will have to change as well.

Talking Drum Studio will also continue spreading awareness of the health policy through spot messages and by incorporating the policy into radio programs. We may also include some of our findings from the focus groups and interviews in future broadcasts.

It feels good to be working with an organization that is so respected in Liberia. When people hear where that we are from Talking Drum everyone knows who we are. I heard one European woman ask a Liberian who we were and the Liberian responded, “They are from Talking Drum. They do very good work here for us.”