Health Ministry suspends the issuing of birth certificates

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on Thursday announced the suspension of the issuing of birth and death certificates to the public. “This action is a clear manifestation of the Ministry’s belief in the judiciary and the rule of law in this country,” Arthur Saye, Deputy Minister of Health said. A court injunction had previously been issued at the request of the Centre for the Protection of Human Rights, a local human rights group, when it emerged that the Ministry of Health had substantially increased the price of birth certificates. Meanwhile, an arrest order against Health Minister, Peter Coleman, was revoked after a judge accepted that government business prevented him from responding to a summons, a media source in Monrovia told IRIN. Coleman was represented in court by the Justice Minister on Wednesday, the source told IRIN.