Murthy said the decommissioning of the Monrovia Medical Unit (MMU) was instead a milestone in that partnership, which must endure because there is still much work to be done.
 
Murthy, who is the leader of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps and is visiting Liberia, assured continuous partnership with Liberia.
 
According to an Executive Mansion release, he made the statement at the closing ceremony of the Monrovia Medical Unit (MMU) at Camp Eason and turning over of the facilities to the Government of Liberia which took place at the site in Charlesville, Margibi County on Thursday, April 30.

 “We want to work with the Liberian leader and people to ensure that we not only get past this outbreak of Ebola but we are partners and will do everything that we can to support the construction of a stable and effective health system for the future,” he said.
 
Vice Admiral Murthy said there are many stories that will be written about the response to Ebola, but some of the stories will be about the response and resilience of the Liberian people,
 
He noted that the stories to be written will be about the strength of the Liberian President, the Ministry of Health and others who guided the country during “a very difficult time with great strength and capability.”
 
Other stories, he said, will be written about the spirit of camaraderie and cooperation between partner organizations that came to Liberia at its hour of need and worked together putting egos aside to make sure that Ebola is tackled and defeated.
 
To have the opportunity to serve in Liberia has been a true honor for the USPHS Commissioned Corps, Vice Admiral Murthy said, noting that the Corps “came to this mission with a sense of purpose, mission and a sense of great dedication which is the history of the Commissioned Corps.”
 
Since its origin in 1798, the USPHS Commissioned Corps has been a force for good in the United States and around the world starting from caring for merchant seamen to responding to crisis such as yellow fever, earthquakes and tornadoes and other disasters like the Ebola crisis in Liberia and the sub-region.
 
“It was our honor and privilege to be a part of the response that helped bring us to zero cases where we are now,” he said.
 
The first health worker admitted to the MMU on November 12, 2014, Mr. Alvin Davis, a physician assistant and one of nine Ebola survivors, on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the USPHS and the courageous and inspiring officers of the MMU for their services to healthcare workers and other responders throughout this crisis.
LINA GDJ/PTK