By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE construction of the dialysis treatment facility on Rota is expected to start late next month, as the design of the building is now 99 percent complete, according to Department of Public Works Secretary Jose S. Demapan.
In an interview yesterday, Demapan said they will still have to finalize the design but, once it is finished, the construction of the project, which has an estimated budget of $788,000, will begin in three to five weeks.
He added that written comments from the Rota Mayor’s Office, the Department of Public Health and DPW are needed before the construction can start.
The Rota legislative delegation was informed by DPW’s technical services division about the completion of the architectural design in January last year.
Sen. Paul A. Manglona, R-Rota, has asked Demapan to immediately assign a project manager for the bidding process “so that we can expedite the construction of this very critical and long overdue project.
The funding, Manglona noted, has been available since 2002.
Demapan assured the senator in his letter on Friday that the design is completed except for the elevator shaft which HK Pangelinan & Associates, the firm contracted to make the design, has to relocate.
Demapan told Manglona that this should be completed today, May 4.
Demapan said the complete package will be submitted to DPW’s technical service division for approval and bidding which the department, he added, has yet to advertise.
Demapan also told the senator that they want to make sure that “this highly prioritized project will not repeat what we experienced with the hemodialysis facility on Saipan.”
He said the people of Rota deserve the best hemodialysis facility and one that will be completed without delay.
At present, there are six patients from Rota who are on Saipan for hemodialysis, and there are two more headed here, according to the Rota Health Center.
The Commonwealth Health Center has at least 14 patients undergoing hemodialysis.