Monrovia – Redemption Hospital’s grossly underfunded budget has generated national outrage following the tragic death of 17-year-old footballer Amara Kamara. The rising star, a defensive midfielder for U-17 Blackman Warrior, sustained a spinal cord injury during a match and succumbed to his injuries due to the inability of Liberian hospitals to provide the necessary care.
Kamara was injured while playing against Bea Mountain Football Club at D-Tweh Field. After being rushed to Redemption Hospital, he was transferred to JFK Hospital and later to Catholic Hospital, all of which lacked the medical equipment to perform spinal cord surgery. With no hospital in Liberia able to address his condition, arrangements were made to transport him to Ghana by road, but Kamara passed away en route.
The death of the promising footballer has cast a harsh spotlight on Liberia’s healthcare system, particularly Redemption Hospital, which serves the densely populated Bushrod Island. Despite being allocated $675,000 for the 2024 fiscal year, the hospital received only $75,000—11% of its approved budget. Critics argue that this chronic underfunding left the hospital ill-equipped to handle emergencies like Kamara’s.
Liberian sports journalist T. Kla Wesley, known as the “001 of sports reporting,” expressed anger and grief on social media, blaming the country’s leaders for Kamara’s untimely death. “Did your ‘leaders’ expect Redemption Hospital to perform a spinal cord surgery with just $75K in budgetary expenditure for a whole year?” Wesley asked.
Prominent activist Martin Kollie echoed Wesley’s sentiments, highlighting how Liberia’s public hospitals remain logistically distressed and underfunded. Kollie pointed out that while Redemption Hospital struggles with inadequate funding, the government spends millions on non-essential expenses, including lavish retreats, entertainment, and foreign medical trips for high-ranking officials.
“The Senate spent $75K on food for a two-day retreat in Buchanan, the same amount Redemption received to run an entire referral hospital for a year,” Kollie noted. He added that the five highest offices in government collectively received nearly $12 million in the same fiscal year.
Kamara’s death has reignited public anger over the systemic neglect of Liberia’s healthcare system, which many see as a reflection of institutionalized corruption and misplaced priorities. Thousands of ordinary Liberians reportedly suffer similar fates due to the lack of basic medical facilities, yet their stories often go untold.
“Rest in peace, Amara. Your country failed you, just as it has failed tens of thousands of Liberians,” Kollie concluded.
Kamara’s passing has symbolized the human cost of Liberia’s governance failures, raising urgent questions about the country’s commitment to its citizens’ welfare. On social media, particularly Facebook, calls for accountability and healthcare reform have intensified, with many demanding that Redemption Hospital’s funding shortfall be urgently addressed to prevent similar tragedies.
