JFK Medical Proposal Bounces Back On Dr. Tweh
By: John Dennis Weah
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The once representative aspirant who threw his weight to become a candidate of Montserrado County District # 11, Dr. Thomas Nimene Tweh, Jr., widely known as ‘Original Country Man,’ has juxtaposed reasons of disagreements in the much talked about nationwide medical proposal by authorities of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center in Monrovia.
Country Man, referred to a draft communication with copy to his original Face book page as he indicates: “I write to express strong professional and ethical opposition to the recent proposal dated July 24, 2025, from the JFK Memorial Medical Center mandating that all patients undergoing Caesarean section (C-section) must make full deposits for specific services prior to surgery.
While we recognize the challenges of maintaining financial sustainability in healthcare service delivery, the implementation of such a policy violates key provisions of the Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC) Act, contravenes principles of medical jurisprudence, and poses serious risks to maternal and fetal health.”
The LMDC Act of 2010 mandates all licensed medical practitioners to uphold the ethical standards of care, placing patient welfare above personal or institutional financial interest, he maintained.
Dr. Tweh indicated the specific policy framework of the Liberia Medical and Dental Council that he referenced has contravened the proposal. Based on the backdrop he underscores that, “it specifically mandates that no medical practitioner shall refuse or delay medically necessary care to a patient in critical condition on the basis of inability to pay.”
A woman in need of an emergency C-section is, by definition, in critical condition. Requiring prior financial deposits for surgery delays care and creates a system that discriminates based on socio-economic status, directly violating this statutory obligation, he emphasized.
“Any delay in surgical intervention due to non-payment may lead to maternal or neonatal morbidity or mortality, which amounts to gross medical negligence.
Patients must not be denied life saving interventions on financial grounds. Instituting a mandatory deposit system inherently privileges the affluent and undermines equal access to emergency obstetric care.”
The Supreme Court has emphasized that the state’s duty to protect life and ensure reasonable access to emergency care is a fundamental responsibility of health care professionals.
Similarly, in Doe V. Redemption Hospital (2021), the Liberian Medical and Dental Council reprimanded medical administrators who required advance payments for emergency maternal care, reinforcing the idea that emergency obstetric services must not be withheld for financial reasons as he recalled past austerity measures taken by the LMDC.
“Healthcare is a human right. No woman should have to choose between life and a ledger.” The current policy, if implemented, will cost lives, violate the law, and expose practitioners to disciplinary action and litigation.
I strongly urge that this release be withdrawn or revised to reflect the ethical and legal obligations of the medical profession in Liberia,” Dr. Tweh said.
Tweh’s stance to shape national development and policymaking within the country’s democracy remains unwavering and unbendingly firmed despite his commitment to succumb to the Supreme Court’s ruling of his denial to participate in the nation’s 2023 October Presidential and Legislative Elections in Liberia
Dr. Tweh is a medical doctor by profession, a humanitarian turned politician in Liberia since 2023 with an indelible print of reshaping the lives of people and communities across Liberia.
Following Dr. Tweh’s critical position debunking what perhaps would have become a policy issue rather than a mere proposal; an official statement was released days after on August 4, 2025 by Liberia’s biggest medical center authorities-JFK.
The administration of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center has informed the public in general that there has been no increase in fees for life-saving surgeries or other essential services at the hospital, contrary to reports circulating in the media.
JFK authorities also further that the widely shared memorandum is a proposal from service providers and remains under review. But confirmed that said proposal has not received approval from the Administration or Board of the hospital.
Moreover, the hospital has also seized the means to inform the public about what has been termed recent available improvements of its basic health care services which include essential medications, upgraded laboratory, surgical services, infrastructure and others.
Recently, health authorities at the government’s largest referral have also deepened public relations to unearth some essential development that vast majority of the public domain had little or no idea about in recent times.
The health administrators alluded that the discussed proposal aims to further enhance care by increasing the number of baseline laboratory tests for patients and extending post-operative hospital stays following cesareans sections measures intended to reduce the risk of sepsis (infection) in post-surgical patients.
“While we acknowledge the financial challenges facing public hospitals including-JFK, we emphasize that no policy within Liberia’s public health system allows denial of emergency care due to inability to pay.”
The John F. Kennedy Medical Center has never refused to treat emergency patients due to lack of payment and will not withhold any life-saving maternal or newborn interventions under any circumstance the internal memo concluded.