Senate Pro-Tempore, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, has promised to intervene in the new policy at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, which requires pregnant patients to make deposits before undergoing a caesarean section (C-section).
The JFK Medical Center indicated in a memo that effective August 1, 2025, there will be a new price structure requesting patients for C-Section to pay an admission fee of US$25 (1-5days), caesarean section US$90, Intra-Op meds and medical supplies US$65, routine labs US$20 and other services will be billed as ordered.
According to the JFK Memo, all patients must deposit the amount before surgery and ensure that there are receipts in hand before taking the patients to the theater or ward. However, Senate Pro-Tempore Lawrence on Monday, August 4, 2025 posted on her official Facebook Page saying, “No woman in labor pain should have to pay a deposit before admission at any government hospital in Liberia.
She said services should be provided immediately upon arrival, and delivery is an emergency. In another development, JFK Medical Center has cancelled free treatment for children under five years old. The Hospital said the reintroduction of fee-for-service is intended to ensure the availability of supplies and consumables.
