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ADNews-Lofa County: Residents of Zorzor and Salayea Districts in Lofa County are expressing growing frustration with District #5 Representative Augustine Chiewolo over what they describe as a “nonfunctional” ambulance that has remained parked since its arrival last year.
By. Jangar Boimah Johnson
In August 2024, scores of citizens witnessed Rep. Chiewolo unveil an ambulance bearing the name of his private clinic, Faith Clinic Ambulance Service. The lawmaker had earlier promised during an induction ceremony for local chiefs in Salayea District that he would provide an ambulance to serve residents by transporting patients from surrounding towns to the Salayea Health Center or to Curran Lutheran Hospital in Zorzor, the only referral hospital in the area.
However, residents told Afric Daily Newspaper that since the vehicle arrived, it has transported only one patient. They allege that the ambulance has since been immobilized and parked at Rep. Chiewolo’s private health facility in Salayea City.
“This vehicle has been sitting for more than a year without helping anyone,” said Salayea resident John Tarwomlo. He accused the lawmaker of “bringing a bus to the district and calling it an ambulance,” adding that it has provided no medical service despite its intended purpose.
Tarwomlo and others say the broken-down ambulance has become an embarrassment, especially as pregnant women and emergency patients struggle to access medical care in Zorzor and neighboring Bong County.
Another resident, Daniel Yah, said the community was initially excited when the ambulance was announced.
“I was so happy when our representative talked about providing an ambulance to transport pregnant women and patients to Curran Lutheran Hospital,” Yah said. “But since its arrival last August, it moved only once. It has remained parked at the representative’s clinic up to now.”
They also criticized the lawmaker for allegedly failing to formally hand over the ambulance to the Lofa County Health Team (CHT) for management and oversight. According to community members, the District Health Officer and the county’s health authorities have no control over the vehicle.
Information obtained by Afric Daily Newspaper suggests the ambulance has been nonfunctional since late 2024 due to mechanical issues, which have reportedly not been addressed by the lawmaker.
The concerned residents are calling on Rep. Chiewolo to repair the ambulance, noting that the transportation cost for patients, especially pregnant women, remains extremely high in the region.
When contacted, Mr. Peter Tokpah, Chief of Office Staff in Rep. Chiewolo’s office, he said the ambulance is currently “used by the clinic,” but did not disclose which clinic utilizes the vehicle or how frequently it is deployed, despite follow-up questions from journalists.
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