U.S.-based nonprofit medical team, the Liberia Medical Mission (LMM), has arrived in Liberia to carry out a focused surgical campaign and bolster local health services through treatment, training and advocacy.
LMM’s General Surgical Team landed on Friday, Jan. 23, and is based at the 14th Military Hospital, where surgeons are scheduled to begin procedures on Monday, Jan. 26. Planned operations include hernia repairs, gallbladder surgeries, small bowel resections, soft tissue mass excisions and breast biopsies. Organizers said more than 20 patients are expected to benefit from the initial round of surgeries at the Monrovia facility.
An ophthalmology delegation will operate in the country’s northeast: the team will be based at Tappita’s Jackson F. Doe Memorial Hospital from Feb. 1–6, with a target of performing 100 cataract surgeries to help restore vision and improve quality of life for underserved patients.
“We are concentrating this year on surgical interventions that save lives and restore function,” LMM Chief Medical Officer Dr. Cherinor Sillah told journalists at a media briefing.
“The mission is not just about treatment — it’s about building resilience in Liberia’s health system and empowering local professionals.”
LMM, composed of Liberian and non-Liberian health professionals, has worked in Liberia for more than 15 years.
The organization says it has donated roughly $18 million in medications and medical supplies to the country, treated some 38,000 patients in hospitals and clinics nationwide, and helped perform 693 cataract surgeries in prior missions.
Other contributions cited by LMM include 15 major medical equipment repairs (saving hospitals an estimated $200,000), 650 CPR trainings for police and security agencies, and 218 Wellness Recovery Program certifications for mental health workers.
The surgical delegation includes Dr. Sillah as team leader alongside board certified surgeons Dr. Christopher Madison (general & robotic surgeon), Dr. Carolyn Moore (cardiothoracic & general surgeon), Dr. Rebecca Chavez and Dr. Anne Moleli Lihau Nkanza, as well as epidemiologist Fatimah Kamara and chief biomedical engineer Ben Weefa. The ophthalmology team is led by Dr. Jeremy Joseph (UK), with Dr. Richard Maw (USA) and local ophthalmologist Dr. Unity Dokie Fahn.
Officials say the mission will also focus on skills transfer, equipment maintenance and broader advocacy to strengthen clinical capacity in both rural and urban hospitals.
LMM representatives emphasized that alongside direct patient care, training and repairs are central to sustaining improvements after the team departs.
Matthew Turrey
