MONROVIA – The death of 31-year-old Liberian nurse Jamesetta Kumeh has generated outrage and sorrow across social media, following her heart-wrenching plea from her hospital bed in Ghana, where she was undergoing treatment for kidney failure. In a statement circulating online, believed to be her last words, Kumeh called for an autopsy to be conducted upon her death, citing suspicions of foul play in her medical reports both in Liberia and Ghana.
“Hello family, I don’t pray for any bad thing to happen to me but just in case I don’t make it out of this, you people should please request for an autopsy to check my abdomen properly and know the actual cause of death,” her message reads. “I’m suspecting foul play in my medical reports… There is a reason why my kidneys failed and I never had any kidney problems.”
Her statement has stirred intense emotions, with many pointing fingers at the ELWA Hospital in Monrovia, where she was allegedly misdiagnosed and subjected to a botched procedure that may have led to her deteriorating health. Kumeh had previously pleaded for redress, particularly in relation to what she claimed was a mishandling of her kidney.
Activist Martin Kollie, who had been actively involved in fundraising and advocacy on Kumeh’s behalf, took to Facebook to mourn her passing. “A sad day,” he wrote. “Together, we did what we could do. Jamesetta acknowledged our collective effort… ELWA Hospital has to fully account for this serious damage. Jamesetta was a victim of a botched surgery. A lot of fake and incompetent doctors are causing so much damage, pain, and hurt for families in Liberia.”
Kollie further called on the Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC) to launch an aggressive crackdown on fraudulent medical practices. “The sad story of Jamesetta must now provoke a turning point across our healthcare system,” he declared.
Meanwhile, political tensions have flared in the wake of her death. A prominent CDC supporter and CEO of Girls for Weah, Hon. Assana Themanogirl, blamed the Unity Party-led government, branding it a failure. “What a havoc across the state! Even our freedom to live has been taken away from us,” she wrote. “Is this the Rescue Mission they promised us? Innocent lives are lost in government hospitals expected to restore our health. It’s a sad time for our nation.”
