A $25 million lawsuit has been filed at the Civil Law Court in Monrovia against the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital and anesthesiologist Dr. Gonkernue Nuahn, over the alleged wrongful death of 26-year-old Lovette Tamba and her unborn child.
The case, brought on behalf of her orphaned four-year-old son Destiny Obey Kerkula, accuses the hospital and its staff of gross medical negligence and malpractice.
According to the lawsuit, Tamba, who was 26 weeks pregnant, visited JFK in January 2025 with mild abdominal pain but reportedly received multiple medications that led to worsening complications, including a preterm rupture of membranes and heavy bleeding.
Her condition deteriorated rapidly, resulting in the death of her fetus and, shortly after, her own death.
The complaint specifically cites Dr. Nuahn for allegedly failing to attend Tamba appropriately and delegating a critical procedure to an unqualified student nurse.
The plaintiff further claims that faulty medical equipment was used and that Tamba was left untreated for hours, which contributed to her death.
Adding to the controversy, the hospital allegedly issued two conflicting death certificates with different causes of death—one given to the family and the other submitted to the Ministry of Health.
An investigation by the Liberia Medical Board later confirmed Tamba died from cardiac arrest due to massive blood loss, worsened by delayed medical intervention.
Lawyers for the family say repeated attempts to settle the matter out of court were ignored or dismissed by hospital representatives, prompting the decision to pursue litigation. Meetings held with JFK staff reportedly involved officials with no authority to resolve the issue.
The lawsuit describes the emotional impact on young Destiny, now left without a mother or sibling, and holds both the hospital and Dr. Nuahn responsible for what it terms “deliberate and reckless actions.” It seeks $17 million in damages from the hospital and $8 million from Dr. Nuahn personally.
With pretrial proceedings expected in the coming weeks, the case is drawing national attention and may set a legal precedent for medical malpractice accountability in Liberia. JFK Hospital and Dr. Nuahn have yet to issue a public response.
