He indicated that this was one of the reasons for the delay in the opening of the multi-million-dollar dialysis center.
By early February, he added, a new medical director and a nephrologist will arrive on island.
A nephrologist is a specialist in kidney diseases, kidney transplantation and dialysis therapy.
Villagomez said they are expecting Gov. Benigno R, Fitial to sign the nephrologist’s contract this week.
“We’ve been working on the hiring of a nephrologist for quite awhile,” Villagomez said, adding that it’s not easy to recruit qualified people.
He said they have had bad experience with hiring the wrong personnel, which only cost the government a lot of money.
“We’re trying to avoid that from happening again, and that’s the reason why we try to be meticulous about who we hire,” he said.
Another reason for the delay in the opening of the dialysis center was the specific changes recommended by Medicare before it could certify the facility, he added.
He said Medicare inspectors visited Saipan last week to make recommendations that needed to get done before the center can be opened.
Tony Babauta, the new Department of the Interior’s assistant secretary for insular affairs, toured the dialysis center recently, following two Interior inspector general reports critical of how the construction of the federally funded project was managed.
The new facility, Villagomez said, is already occupied by the women’s and children’s clinics.
