Monrovia — President Joseph Boakai has ordered the immediate reopening of Phebe Hospital in Suakoko District, Bong County, and recalled three senior officials at the center of a prolonged labor dispute that forced the closure of one of the largest referral health facilities in Liberia.
The decision followed a high-level meeting at the Executive Mansion on Monday involving senior government officials, health authorities, and representatives of the churches that jointly govern the hospital.
President Boakai described the closure of the hospital as unacceptable, emphasizing that the Government of Liberia has a responsibility to ensure uninterrupted access to quality healthcare services for citizens.
"The health and well-being of our people must always come first. No disagreement should deny our citizens access to essential medical care," President Boakai declared.
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He instructed all health workers to immediately return to work and restore full medical services to residents of Bong County and neighboring counties who depend on the referral hospital for specialized healthcare.
As part of efforts to calm the crisis and pave the way for an independent review, President Boakai ordered the recall of Phebe Hospital Medical Director Dr. Minnie Sankawulo-Ricks, Human Resource Director Jonathan Pewu, and Assistant Human Resource Director Peter Gbelawoe, pending an administrative assessment of the issues fueling the dispute.
The President also established a Special Committee headed by the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs to investigate the conflict and recommend both immediate and long-term reforms aimed at strengthening governance, accountability, and administrative operations at the hospital. The committee will comprise representatives of the Ministry of Health, the governing churches, and other key stakeholders.
President Boakai further warned against political interference in the administration of healthcare institutions, stressing that hospitals should remain dedicated to saving lives rather than becoming arenas for prolonged disputes.
Monday's meeting at the Executive Mansion brought together Bong County Senator Prince K. Moye, Health Minister Dr. Louise M. Kpoto, representatives of the Lutheran, Episcopal, and United Methodist Churches, and several senior government officials seeking a resolution to the impasse.
The President's intervention follows weeks of escalating tensions at Phebe Hospital, where aggrieved workers launched a series of protests accusing the hospital's administration of alleged bad labor practices, administrative intimidation, unfair treatment of employees, salary disparities, poor working conditions, lack of transparency in personnel decisions, and what they described as persistent violations of workers' rights.
The protesting workers repeatedly maintained that they had lost confidence in the leadership of Dr. Minnie Sankawulo-Ricks, Jonathan Pewu, and Peter Gbelawoe, insisting that meaningful dialogue would only be possible if the three officials vacated their positions. They argued that previous engagements with management and the governing board failed to produce lasting solutions to their grievances.
The labor dispute intensified after the head of the Phebe Hospital Workers Union was detained following one of the demonstrations organized by aggrieved employees. The detention drew criticism from workers, who viewed the action as an attempt to silence legitimate labor concerns rather than address the issues they had consistently raised with management.
Despite the detention of their union leader, the aggrieved employees remained resolute, declaring they would not return to work until their demands were addressed, particularly their insistence that the three senior officials leave their respective positions. Their continued work stoppage eventually disrupted normal operations and forced the hospital to suspend major healthcare services.
The shutdown of Phebe Hospital quickly evolved into a community concern as women from Suakoko District organized street protests demanding the resignation of the hospital's Medical Director and other senior administrators.
The demonstrators argued that the prolonged leadership crisis had deprived thousands of residents of critical healthcare services and called for urgent intervention to restore normal operations.
Responding to those demonstrations, Phebe Hospital's Head of Media, Samuel Kplaiwru, maintained that public protests could not compel the removal of the three officials because they were appointed by the hospital's governing Board. He argued that only the appropriate appointing authority possessed the legal mandate to make decisions regarding their tenure.
Phebe Hospital is owned and operated by the Lutheran Church of Liberia in partnership with other Christian denominations, including the Episcopal and United Methodist Churches. The institution has long served as one of the country's premier referral hospitals while also functioning as a major teaching facility for health professionals. The three officials at the center of the dispute were appointed through the hospital's church-led governance structure, a position consistently defended by the Board throughout the crisis.
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Throughout the months-long dispute, previous protests and work stoppages organized by aggrieved employees failed to produce the changes they demanded. The hospital's Board repeatedly maintained that employees had no authority to determine who should occupy positions appointed by the governing churches, insisting that appointments and removals remained the exclusive responsibility of the Board.
The standoff continued to deepen despite repeated appeals for dialogue, leaving patients, healthcare workers, and surrounding communities uncertain about the future of the institution. As one of Liberia's leading referral hospitals, Phebe serves thousands of patients annually from Bong County and several neighboring counties, making its closure a matter of national concern.
The crisis also attracted heightened government attention because Phebe Hospital receives financial support through subsidies from the Government of Liberia in addition to assistance from its church owners and development partners. The hospital's public funding, coupled with its strategic role in the national healthcare system, increased pressure on authorities to intervene before the dispute further disrupted healthcare delivery.
