Claim: One Doctor is to 20,000 Patients
Full Text: The health system in Liberia is facing a wide range of difficulties due to years of violence.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted access to and consumption of vital health services, greatly straining the country’s already frail health system.
On January 3, Martin Kollie, an activist, posted on Social Media that one Doctor is currently to 20,000 patients.
“Doctor-to-Patient Ratio should be 1:1000 according to WHO. Under GMW, it is 1 Doctor to 20,000 Patients according to WHO’s 2021/2022 HWF Report. It was 1:15,000 under EJS. Y’all go and put JorWeah there again. It will go up to 1:50,000. CRISIS!!”
The post attracted 158 reactions, 64 comments, and 33 shares.
Verification: The WHO World health statistics 2021 report on the State of the Health Workforce in Africa, Liberia has one Doctor for every 20,000 people, far below WHO’s recommended 1:1,000 doctor-to-patient ratio.
The WHO states that the density of medical doctors is highest in the European region, at around 43 per 10 000 population. Still, the African region has the lowest density of medical doctors (about 2 per 10,000 population).
When the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons Graduated, Twenty-One Specialized Doctors confirmed that there is a low number of doctors to patients in the country.
Conclusion: The information posted by Martin Kollie on the ratio of a Doctor to a patient is True.
By: R. Joyclyn Wea
