Over 20 Civil Society and governmental organizations have petitioned members of the Liberian Senate, through their Chairman on Executive Senator Saah Joseph, to guarantee the speedy passage of the Revised Public Health Law, which has languished before the National Legislature for several years.
The CSOs and governmental institutions include: Liberia Nurses Association, Respiratory Association of Liberia, Liberia Association of Medical Laboratory Technologists and Liberia Society of Medical Imaging Technologists.
Others are: Liberia Midwifery Association, Liberia X-Ray Technicians Association, Liberia Operating Room Technician, Liberia Private health facilities Association and Pharmacist Association of Liberia, Sister Aid Liberia Incorporated, among others.
It can be recalled that in February 2020, President George Weah submitted the Revised Health Bill for passage into law by the National Legislature. The draft law submitted seeks to among others, address current and future challenges as well as integrate the separate laws governing the public health system.
The revision of the law was proposed by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with various stakeholders and partners following intense legal and health challenges, beginning with the outbreak of the Ebola viral disease between 2014 and 2015 to make it fully compatible with contemporary health practices. The law was submitted to be amended 20 years after it was first enacted by the National Legislature in 1950 and firstly amended in 1956.
The Plenary of the House of Representatives passed the draft law on July 21, 2022 and submitted to the Liberian Senate for concurrence based upon a recommendation from its Joint Committee on Health and Judiciary. .
But Senators have relaxed further deliberations on the passage of the draft law. Their action prompted several civil society and governmental organizations to present a petition to Senator Joseph at his Capitol Building office in Monrovia on Thursday, May 18.
In the petition, the CSOs and governmental institutions observed that the development of the New Public Health Bill underwent rigorous technical review processes.
It maintained that the joint legislative committees on health and judiciary had multiple engagements with the Ministry of Health, health sector institutions, and stakeholders, including a a three-day working session with the Law Review Team in Gbarnga from July 11-13, 2018, a Joint Public Hearing in the Chambers of the Liberian Senate in April 2020, and a three-day working session in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
They noted that the common understanding consistently reached during the dialogue as with other meetings was that, the Revised Bill is all-inclusive of diverse public health needs; it is culturally sensitive; and the legal instrument safeguards against medical practices of unprofessional and quack doctors which most often than not result in the loss of lives and reproductive organs.
They added that when passed into Law, the Revised Public Health Law will play crucial roles in addressing the many public health challenges in Liberia.
"The Revised Public Health Law covers several crucial needs; some of them are: nuisances, mental health, drug peddling, nutrition, and non-communicable diseases. Others are leprosy, the referral systems in the hospital, clinical trials, HIV/AIDS, sexual reproductive health, discrimination in providing healthcare services, and regulation of marketing of products for infants and young children. The draft instrument highly risks further delay if it is not passed into law before the current sitting of the House of Senate ends in June 2023."
Speaking shortly after he received the petition, Senator Joseph admitted that the passage of the law has been delayed at the Liberian Senate due to some circumstances.
He said some of those issues have already been resolved following clarities made by the Ministry of Health and other partners.
"When we enact laws here, the laws affect the citizens. So, we want to make sure we have everyone consulted on this. We also consulted faith based organizations, including churches."
The sticky issue
Senator Joseph disclosed that there are few religious institutions that have series of concerns, including the issue of abortion captured under the law.
The current Public Health Law of Liberia allows abortion only in cases of rape, incest, fetal abnormality, danger to the mother's life or risk to her physical or mental health. Anything on the contrary is illegal.
But the Senators have been debating the draft law to expand access to abortion, which is currently subject to tight restrictions that many women circumvent through clandestine and dangerous means. Their deliberations also seek to greatly expand the availability of legal abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Medical exemptions require written approval by at least two doctors. In cases of rape or incest, proof must be provided in court. Otherwise, abortion is punishable by up to three years in prison.
According to Senator Joseph, members of the Senate are in the conclusion stages of deliberations on the passage of the law.
He claimed that Senators are very keen on the passage of the law in the soonest possible time to ensure that it benefits the Liberian people.
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"No member of the Senate is against the Public Health Law. We all have interest, but when we make laws here, it should affect the citizens positively."
Senator Joseph pointed out that additional consultations are currently ongoing with other stakeholders and faith-based institutions to guarantee the passage of the document.
He, however, vowed to submit the petition to the Joint Committee on Health and Judiciary as well as the Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate Albert Chie.
He further encouraged the petitioners to mount pressure on their respective Senators to vote in favor of the timely passage of the law.
"We take serious note of what you have said. We will take this instrument seriously most especially for you leaving your busy schedules to come for something that benefits all of us. This is a greater concern for us. I can assure you that within a one week period, you will hear something from us. We want to pass this law so that it affects and is in the interest of everyone."
Senator Joseph, however, vowed to liaise with his colleagues, especially those on the Joint Committee, to conduct another public hearing on the draft law before it is pass by the Senate, with the inclusion of all stakeholders.
