USAID Restores TNIMA
USAID Restores Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA) Dormitory and Classroom
The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Liberia Community Infrastructure Program (LCIP) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 handed over to the government of Liberia the rehabilitated and furnished dormitory and classrooms of the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA) located on the compound of the “John F. Kennedy (JFK) Memorial Medical Center” in Sinkor. The rehabilitation was made possible through a grant from the American people in the amount of USD 775,000 to the JFK Medical Center.
Several annex classrooms within the dormitory building were also rehabilitated through this grant, as well as the covered walkways connecting the building to the classrooms and medical facilities located in the adjacent JFK Medical Center. In addition to the rehabilitation of the building itself, USAID provided 150 student desks for the classroom annexes, 500 bunk beds and mattresses, ceiling fans for all the dormitory rooms, and four solar-powered outdoor security lights.
The rehabilitation of this 40,000 square foot, three-story building provides safe and clean residential living quarters for up to 500 future Liberian nurses, certified mid-wives, and other health technicians who are enrolled in two and three-year nursing and midwife programs.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, accompanied by visiting Nigerian First Lady, DR, Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar’Adua, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Brooks Robinson, Minister of Health Walter Gwenigale, the President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate Cletus Wotorson, USAID-Liberia Mission Director, Pamela White, JFK Administrator Wvannie Scott-McDonald, faculty and students, as well as staff of the JFK Medical Center and TNIMA attended the ceremony for the turning-over and reopening of the TNIMA dormitory and classrooms.
Given the war-induced and dire shortage of trained and certified medical personnel to cover public health needs for a population of 3.4 million, the facility contributes to the training of a new health workforce which USAID is also supporting in other ways. According to USAID Mission Director Pam White, “This building is just one element of the overall and close cooperation between USAID and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
USAID also is supporting TNIMA faculty and students in several different ways to advance learning so they can form part of a new health workforce of dedicated and up-to-date professionals. We are working together to build up a health system that relies on nurses, mid-wives and technicians to help protect children from deadly malaria, to protect mothers from the risks of childbirth, and to protect young girls from unwanted and dangerous early pregnancy.”
AEP Consultants, a Liberian architecture firm supervised the work carried out by another Liberian construction firm Seek Engineering and Construction Company (SEACON). Over 100 Liberian skilled and unskilled laborers were employed through this rehabilitation project.
The TNIMA Dormitory is one of several key national public works currently under rehabilitation/construction by LCIP and funded by USAID. The National Elections Commission (NEC) headquarters, University of Liberia Engineering Building-Fendell Campus, Medina-Robertsport Road, Todee Road Development Corridor and the Maryland County Administration Building/City Hall are due to be completed by March 2010.