Modern Maternity Hospital Complex Project Kicks Off | News

The government and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints broke ground on Thursday for a new maternity hospital on Duport Road, marking a major investment in maternal and neonatal health care. Officials say it will provide safer childbirth services for thousands of families in one of Greater Monrovia’s fastest-growing communities.

The planned facility, a joint undertaking between the Ministry of Health and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will feature more than 100 beds, delivery suites, operating theaters, laboratories, and a neonatal intensive care unit.

The hospital will be constructed on the site of the current Duport Road Health Center, which has evolved from a small clinic into a busy health facility serving tens of thousands of residents and recording more than 200 deliveries each month.

The groundbreaking ceremony comes one day before the opening of the Strengthening Families Conference 2026 in Monrovia and serves as the church’s flagship humanitarian contribution tied to the event. Church leaders described the project as a tangible demonstration of the conference’s central theme—that strong families are essential to national development and social progress.

The eighth edition of the annual interfaith conference opens Friday at the EJS Exhibition Complex and runs through Saturday. Liberia is hosting the gathering for the first time after receiving the torch from Sierra Leone, which hosted the 2025 conference in Freetown.

Previous editions were held in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Organizers say the free, two-day forum brings together religious leaders, government officials, civil society actors, and traditional authorities to explore practical ways of strengthening families as the foundation of stable and prosperous societies.

The Inter-Religious Council of Liberia has endorsed the conference, noting that the event is not centered on any single religious doctrine but focuses on family welfare, culture, health, and social development. The council also confirmed its participation in the educational components of the program.

First Lady Kartumu Y. Boakai, Liberia’s Maternal and Neonatal Health Champion, presided over the groundbreaking and described the project as the realization of a vision she championed early in her tenure. Recalling a visit to the Duport Road Health Center, she said she was moved by the facility’s conditions and challenged her office to seek lasting improvements.

“Today transcends a groundbreaking ceremony,” the First Lady told attendees. “What once represented hope is now becoming a symbol of transformation.”

She characterized the hospital as an investment in Liberia’s future, emphasizing the link between maternal health and national development.

“True faith gives. True faith builds. True faith transforms,” Mrs. Boakai said. “When we invest in maternal health care, we are strengthening the future of our nation.”

Closing her remarks, the Liberian First Lady expressed hope that the facility would serve generations of Liberian families.

“May this hospital stand as a beacon of healing. May every mother who enters its doors find safety,” she said. “Today we break ground, tomorrow we save lives, and for generations to come, Liberia will reap the harvest of what is being planted.”

The maternity hospital forms part of a broader development initiative supported by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bong County District 2 Representative James Kolleh said the church is currently financing eight projects across Liberia, including one hospital, three clinics, and four schools.

“We have one hospital, three clinics, along with four schools from this church,” Kolleh said, describing the investments as a significant contribution to Liberia’s development infrastructure.

Montserrado County Superintendent Rory Bryant praised the partnership between the church and the government, noting that church members had contributed more than US$100,000 toward the initiative. He said the project demonstrated a commitment to translating faith into practical action while complementing ongoing efforts to strengthen health services across the county.

Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran, a General Authority Seventy and member of the church’s Africa West Area Presidency, said the project reflects the institution’s humanitarian mission and commitment to improving lives through community partnerships.

“Today we break ground, but more importantly, we plant hope,” Ojediran said, adding that access to quality health care is fundamental to human dignity and societal progress. He also urged residents to protect and maintain the facility throughout construction and after its completion.

Health Minister Dr. Louise M. Kpoto described the maternity hospital as one of the ministry’s most important ongoing projects and expressed her determination to see it completed.

“If there is one project that I could complete before my tenure is over, this Duport Road Maternal Center should be that project,” Kpoto said.

She linked the facility to the ministry’s nationwide initiative aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and credited the First Lady for drawing attention to the needs of the Duport Road Health Center and supporting its rehabilitation.

Representing President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Senior Presidential Advisor Prof. Dr. Augustine Konneh called the groundbreaking a milestone in Liberia’s health sector transformation and emphasized the importance of maternal and newborn health.

“Protecting mothers and newborns is not only a health priority; it is a governance imperative and a moral duty,” Konneh said.

Officials noted that the project responds to persistent challenges in Liberia’s maternal health sector, where preventable deaths are often linked to delays in accessing quality care. Once completed, the facility is expected to reduce pressure on major referral institutions, including John F. Kennedy Medical Center and Redemption Hospital, both of which routinely receive large numbers of patients from surrounding communities.

House Committee on Health Chairperson Julie Fatorma Wiah and community chairman Jimmy Wisseh also welcomed the initiative, with Wisseh noting that residents had long advocated for a hospital in the area.

Following the ceremony, government officials, church leaders, and community members proceeded to the construction site, where they formally turned the first soil, signaling the start of a project many hope will transform maternal health care delivery in the Duport Road community and beyond.