House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon has donated a bus to the J.J. Dossen Memorial Referral Hospital in Harper City, Maryland County, Liberia. The donation was made during a ceremony at the hospital's facility, attended by health practitioners, local authorities, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders. Speaker Koon made the commitment during a visit to the hospital in December 2025, when hospital authorities raised concerns about the institution's needs.
During the visit in December 2025, hospital authorities, including then County Health Officer Dr. Siedoh Freeman, highlighted several urgent needs, including the need for additional space to expand hospital facilities, the placement of long-serving volunteer nurses on the government payroll, and transportation for health workers. In response, Speaker Koon promised to provide a bus to address the transportation challenge and committed to taking the other concerns to the House of Representatives for consideration and possible budgetary allocation.
Speaker Koon clarified that the donated bus was not new but a fairly used vehicle. He urged the hospital to properly maintain it, saying, "The more you take good care of it, the longer it will last." The bus was received on behalf of the county's health sector by Maryland County Health Officer Dr. Methodius George, who praised Speaker Koon for fulfilling his commitment. Dr. George noted that the vehicle would benefit not only the J.J. Dossen Hospital but also the wider county health team.
Dr. Methodius George emphasized that the bus would be used by the Maryland County Health Team, the Pleebo Health Center, and other health facilities in the county. He called on other lawmakers to support the county's health sector by undertaking similar initiatives. Medical Director of the J.J. Dossen Memorial Referral Hospital, Dr. Shadrach Gono, thanked Speaker Koon for the donation and assured that the bus would be used for its intended purpose.
Dr. Shadrach Gono said the vehicle would help address transportation needs associated with the hospital's operations and health workers. Maryland County Superintendent Nathaniel S. Toe, Jr. also praised Speaker Koon and the government for developments taking place across the county. Superintendent Toe referenced several projects and initiatives in Maryland County, including the provision of "yellow machines" under the Presidential Development Project.
Superintendent Toe described the bus as "one of the good things that has ever entered" the J.J. Dossen Hospital. The cost of the bus was not disclosed during the donation ceremony. However, sources within Speaker Koon's media team revealed that the bus was given to the Speaker as a gift by a friend, and its monetary value is not known.
Following the donation, the bus has been put into use and is currently being used by health workers in Maryland County. The donation is expected to provide transportation support for health workers and facilitate movement for health workers in Maryland County. This initiative is seen as a significant boost to the county's health sector.
Key points
- House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon donates a fairly used bus to J.J. Dossen Memorial Referral Hospital in Harper City, Maryland County.
- The bus was donated to address transportation challenges faced by health workers at the hospital.
- The donation fulfills a commitment made by Speaker Koon during a visit to the hospital in December 2025.
