By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety News Staff

THE Senate Committee on Health and Welfare Programs will hold a public hearing today on health-related issues amid the administration’s plan to privatize the hospital’s out-patient department.
Sen. Paul A. Manglona, R-Rota and committee chairman, will preside over the hearing which will be held in the Senate chamber at 10 a.m. today.
A similar public hearing will be held at Northern Marianas College on Rota.
Manglona has asked Attorney General Matthew Gregory, Public Health Secretary Kevin Villagomez, Commerce Secretary James Santos, special assistant for budget and management Antonio Muna and Finance Secretary Eloy Inos to be present at the public hearing.
Billing issues and other problems in accessing quality healthcare in the CNMI will be discussed at the public hearing.
The Department of Public Health recently issued a request for proposals from private companies interested in taking over the outpatient department of the islands’ government-owned hospital.
The outpatient services that will be privatized include primary healthcare for adults, women and children.
Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. told Variety on Monday that the privatization project is the initial phase of the administration’s plan to let the private sector deliver healthcare services in the CNMI.
He said the governor has already informed the U.S. Department of the Interior about the privatization plan.
The islands’ hospital was created through grants from the federal government.
But it has been experiencing financial troubles due to the failure of many government agencies and private individuals, particularly the Group Health Life Insurance Program, to settle their medical bills amounting to several millions of dollars.