ELWA Hospital Medical staff in Paynesville, outside Monrovia, staged a peaceful protest over poor working conditions, meager pay and administrative neglect that they say have crippled service delivery.
The protest began early Monday morning October 6, 2025, in the courtyard of the hospital, but later spilled onto the main road, with doctors, nurses and support staff, chanting slogans, as they held placards demanding urgent government, and management intervention.
Many of the protesters, who dressed in their work uniforms and wore red armbands, accused both the Ministry of Health and ELWA’s Administration for turning a blind eye to years of hardship faced by healthcare workers.
“We save lives every day, but we are dying silently,” one nurse told this newspaper.
“We earn just L$10,000, around US$50 a month, yet patients are billed L$100,000 US$500, or more for basic treatments. Where is the money going?”
Protesting staff described the facility as “total decay, with leaking roofs, shortage of drugs, lack of protective gear, and outdated medical equipment that frequently fails during emergency procedures.”
“We are risking our lives with no gloves, no masks, and no proper beds for patients,” another nurse revealed.
“Sometimes patients are allowed to sleep on benches or even on the floor, because there are not enough beds.”
With such conditions, the workers have demanded for a complete overhaul of the management; the appointment of a competent administrator and the provision of essential medical resources to restore basic confidence in the smooth running of the facility.
They also cited chronic understaffing, without training opportunities, and low morale among workers as factors that gave worsened patient’s care.
Patients and their relatives, many of whom witnessed the protest, expressed sympathy for the health workers, as well as expressed concerns over the interrupted services.
“We understand their frustration,” said a patient caretaker, noting: “People are suffering and dying here. Government needs to act before this situation leads to mass deaths of our sick families.”
As of press time late last night, the Ministry of Health had not issued an official statement.
However, a senior official confirmed anonymously that an internal assessment of the facility was underway “anytime soon.”
The government, in a brief remark, promised to “look into the matter,” but protesters remain skeptical, as they cited years of unfulfilled promises, and political indifference.
The ELWA protest underscores a much broader national healthcare crisis; one that defined by chronic underfunding, inadequate infrastructure, low salaries and neglect of frontline medical workers.
Across the country, hospitals and clinics, are reportedly experiencing similar function, especially in rural areas where access to healthcare are nearly nonexistent.
In some facilities, patients are forced to sit on chairs during treatment due to the “everyday no beds syndrome,” while others receive care only through personal connections or bribes.
Even the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, the country premier referral facility, has faced similar complaints about poor management, and deteriorating services.
“If this is happening in Monrovia, imagine what our people in the rural counties are going through daily.”
Health workers say their protest is not merely about salaries, but about the value of human life, and the need for reform in the healthcare system.
They have therefore demanded the government to prioritize the welfare of healthcare workers, improve infrastructure, and ensure that funds allocated to health institutions are used transparently.