By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

GOVERNOR Felix P. Camacho yesterday approved the creation of three professional positions at the Guam Memorial Hospital which had been requested by the hospital administration.
The governor’s approval has paved the away for GMH to start the process of creating the positions for an electroencephalographic technologist, a physical therapist assistant, and an occupational therapist assistant.
 “Lt. Gov. Mike Cruz and I know these positions are important to GMH’s patients and that’s why they were prioritized,” Camacho said.
GMH will fund the three positions through the fiscal year 2008 budget, according to Zinna Pecina, GMH assistant administrator for professional support services.
She said the new positions were created to assist the main therapists and EEG technologist in handling their increasing workload.
GMH currently has one ful-time and one part-time physical therapist, two full-time occupational therapists and one EEG technologist.
The positions require skilled professionals who will help patients requiring brain activity measurements, physical recovery, and rehabilitative care.
Pecina said hiring assistants is more achievable than recruiting physical and occupational therapists, considering the higher qualification standards required for the main positions.
“The criteria for physical and occupational therapists include a master’s degree. The positions for assistants require only associate degrees,” Pecina said.
“Considering the salary rates that we offer, it’s hard to recruit somebody with a master’s degree. To alleviate the manpower shortage, we created positions for professionals who are easier to recruit,” she added.