Acceptance Speech Delivered by
H.E. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.
As the 2024 Honorary Fellow Inductee
At the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons at the
EJS Ministerial Complex, Oldest Congo Town
Friday, September 13, 2024
Honorable Keynote Speaker, Professor Emmanuel R. Ezeome;
President James K. Mulbah, Officials and Members of the Council of the Liberia College of Physicians & Surgeons;
Honorable Members of the Legislature Present;
Members of the Cabinet;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Visiting College Presidents of Sister Colleges in the Sub-region;
Local Institutions Represented;
Esteemed Guest;
Members of the Fourth Estate;
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am as deeply honored and humbled to receive this prestigious honorary Fellowship from your reputable Institution as I am highly delighted to be in your midst for this historic ceremony today.
In 2012, the Legislature passed an act establishing the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons to produce skilled medical specialists to deliver health services effectively and efficiently by demonstrating the highest standard of medical excellence.
As one of the youngest postgraduate colleges in the sub-region, the college is expected to provide all secondary and tertiary hospitals in our country with the necessary medical specialties to treat all types of medical conditions.
Additionally, the college is expected to support ongoing professional development in medicine, surgery, and related fields while also promoting high standards of professional practice, ethics, and morals among doctors in Liberia.
I am deeply grateful to Professor Mulbah, the Executive Council, Fellows, and Members of LCPS for honoring and recognizing me. This Fellowship symbolizes the collective efforts of all those who have supported and encouraged us in our journey to establish this Institution as a Law.
I want to also express my gratitude to the members of the Legislature who supported the passage of the Act that established the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons over a decade ago. I want to note that this achievement occurred during my time serving as President of the Liberian Senate, which was facilitated by my position as Vice President of the Republic.
Today, Liberia can proudly claim to have locally trained specialists. Liberian specialists are now working at Phebe Hospital in Bong County, Jackson F. Doe Hospital in Nimba County, J.J. Dossen Hospital in Maryland, and Emirate Hospital in Gbarpolu, among others.
I have been made aware of your expressed desire to have specialist doctors who have completed postgraduate training to be re-classified. We see this as a reasonable request for your institution to consider, and I assure you that my administration will thoroughly examine the matter. The recruitment of visiting faculty to support LCPS is not a sustainable endeavor. We need to be more innovative and think outside the box.
We need to be aware of the reality that the long-term success of the College depends on investing in Liberian faculty. Currently, only 25% of the Faculty Chairs are Liberian, and we need to change this.
To ensure the College’s sustainability, we must train and retain more Liberian specialists who are interested in academia in the various training hospitals across the country.
I want to emphasize the importance of empowering and enriching this institution so that it can have a significant impact on our healthcare system.
As the original founding partner and longtime supporter of this Institution, my increasing support is unwavering. I hope that my fellowship will encourage all of us to renew our commitment to helping the institution reach its full potential.
I assure you that my Government will spare no efforts in seeking partnerships to improve our health sector, especially in the training and deployment of healthcare practitioners.
I call upon all of you to rise to this occasion by upping our resolve to THINK LIBERIA, LOVE LIBERIA so that we can together BUILD LIBERIA. Only with such a collective approach to searching for a shared vision can we actualize these noble dreams.
God bless us all and save the State!
The Executives of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons paid a courtesy call on the President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E Joseph Nyumah Boakai. During said visit, the President of the College Professor Dr. John K. Mulbah, briefed President Boakai on the current status, achievements, challenges and the way forward of the College. The Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons is the flagship institution of the Government of Liberia where specialized Doctors are trained locally. President Boakai who served as the Chief Launcher of the College during his tenure as Vice President welcomed the Executives and promised to prioritize postgraduate medical training as according to him, the importance of a vibrant health sector could not be overemphasized!
