By Amos Harris
PAYNESVILLE, Liberia – Medical staff at ELWA Hospital in Paynesville staged a powerful peaceful protest on Monday, October 6, 2025, over poor working conditions, meager pay, and administrative neglect, they say have crippled service delivery at the facility.
The protest, which began early Monday morning inside the hospital compound, later spilled onto the main road. Doctors, nurses, and support staff—many dressed in their work uniforms and wearing red armbands—chanted slogans and held placards demanding urgent intervention from the government and hospital management.
Protesters directed their anger at both the Ministry of Health and ELWA’s administration, accusing them of turning a blind eye to years of hardship.
“We save lives every day, but we are dying silently,” one nurse told this paper. The workers highlighted the stark contrast between their earnings and patient fees. “We earn just L10, 000, around US50 a month, yet patients are billed L100, 000, US500, or more for basic treatment. Where is the money going?
Protesting staff described ELWA Hospital as a facility in “total decay.” Their grievances included leaking roofs, a chronic shortage of drugs, a lack of protective gear, and outdated medical equipment that frequently fails during emergency procedures.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 lamented. “Sometimes patients lie on benches or even on the floor because there are not enough beds.”
Beyond the infrastructural issues, the workers cited chronic understaffing, lack of training opportunities, and low morale as factors worsening patient care.
The healthcare workers are demanding a complete overhaul of hospital management, the appointment of a competent administrator, and the immediate provision of essential medical resources to restore basic confidence in the hospital’s operations.
“We are not asking for luxury,” one protesting nurse concluded. “We are asking for dignity, fairness, and the tools to do our jobs. Without that, the entire healthcare system will continue to collapse—patient by patient, day by day.”
The staff emphasized that the protest is not merely about salaries, but fundamentally about the value of human life and the need for systemic reform. They are demanding that the government prioritize the welfare of healthcare workers, improve hospital infrastructure, and ensure that funds allocated to health institutions are used transparently.
Patients and their relatives, many of whom witnessed the disruption, expressed sympathy for the health workers while expressing concern over interrupted services. “We understand their frustration,” said one patient’s relative. “But people are suffering. The government must act before this situation leads to deaths.”
As of press time, the Ministry of Health had not issued an official statement. However, a senior official confirmed anonymously that an internal assessment is underway. While the government, in a brief remark, promised to “look into the matter,” protesters remain skeptical, citing years of unfulfilled promises and political indifference.
The ELWA protest highlights a much broader national healthcare crisis in Liberia, one defined by chronic underfunding, inadequate infrastructure, low salaries, and neglect of frontline medical workers. Hospitals and clinics across the country are struggling to function, a situation even affecting the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Liberia’s premier referral facility, which has faced similar complaints.
“What’s happening at ELWA is just the tip of the iceberg,” a protest leader stressed. “If this is happening in Monrovia, imagine what our people in the rural counties are going through daily.”
The demonstration has become a symbol of resistance, calling for immediate action, not empty promises, as Liberia grapples with a weak and severely under-resourced health system.
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