Monrovia, Liberia - Liberia’s First Lady, Ambassador Clar M. Weah, on Saturday joined the Liberia Medical Mission to donate modern cardiac stress testing equipment, worth US$90,000.00 Untied States Dollars to John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center.

As the Chief Patron of the Liberia Medical Mission, Ambassador Weah received the equipment from the Mission’s visiting delegation and handed it over to the JFK management team for use by the institution.

Ambassador Clar Weah thanked the Liberia Medical Mission for its support to Liberia, stressing that their move was in response to President George Weah’s call for Diaspora Liberians to return home and contribute to their country’s development. “I am happy to see that you have taken the initiative to come here and start in the interest of the Liberian people,” said Ambassador Weah. She stressed that the equipment was important for augmenting the current capacity of the country’s premier hospital and saving lives, which form part of the Liberian government’s priorities.

The Frist Lady said she was particularly pleased to present the equipment to JFK, the country’s premier referral hospital as it was in dire need of more equipment. Ambassador Clar Weah recalled the deplorable condition she saw during a tour of the hospital’s facilities in February this year during a visit paid by she and President Weah. “This is a very important machine. I have used it once and I think it’s going to benefit the Liberian community a lot because we are faced with the situation where a lot of people, being sick, are flown out to different countries to seek medical treatment,” Ambassador Weah asserted.

Ambassador Clar Weah described the donation as an advanced improvement for not only JFK but the entire country. She conveyed President George Weah’s gratitude to the Liberia Medical Mission. She then assured them of government’s commitment to working together in extending such services to Liberians in the hinterland. The equipment is used for conducting a cardiological test that measures the heart's ability to respond to external stress in a controlled clinical environment. The stress response is induced by exercise or by drug stimulation.

For his part, Dr. Jerry Brown thanked the First Lady and the Liberia Medical Mission for the donation and it was the first of its kind to the institution. Dr. Brown said they were glad to ‘wholeheartedly receive the equipment’ and said it will be used it for the intended purpose. Speaking earlier, the Liberia Medical Missions Team Leader, Mr. Sackor expressed delight over the overwhelming reception accorded them by the First Lady. Mr. Sackor said, as Chief Patron, the wife of President George Weah has assured them of her support, particularly in facilitating the mission to ensure that more of such interventions are made for the general benefit of Liberians.

He said the mission has been in the country for about two weeks since February 23 offering free medical services including over 50 eye surgeries, medical tutorials at the medical school-TNIMA, among others. Mr. Sackor put the total value of the services to $3.1million and stressed that it was self-sponsored with aid from kind hearted individuals and institutions.

He said the Medical Liberia Mission, based in the United States of America, comprises of various medical specialists who are devoted to working for their country, Liberia. The team departs the country Sunday, March 11, 2018.