He said they tried to address the problem 60 days prior the expiration of the contracts of the medical personnel hired through SEAS.
However, he said, “there is no secret that the CNMI government is facing serious budgetary shortfall.”
Dela Cruz said 11 nurses and medical ancillary staff of the Tinian Health Center were affected by the recent order of the Department of Labor which revoked all CNMI working permits of SEAS.
SEAS, which is managed and owned by Henry Cruz, has filed an appeal to the secretary of Labor.
In an email interview, Dela Cruz said the Tinian Health Center has not initiated any action to directly hire the affected nurses and medical ancillary staff.
He said they will respect the due process provided by the Department of Labor.
“Should the secretary of Labor affirm the order by the hearing officer, THC will then address the matter to Mayor Ramon M. Dela Cruz to make a policy call on whether to directly hire or continue the same arrangement,” he said.
The decision of the mayor and the THC management will be based on the center’s best interest and the government’s fiscal condition, he added.
“Mayor Dela Cruz and I are extremely pleased with the strong commitment and cooperation by SEAS employees, reporting to work regularly without interrupting the delivery of healthcare on Tinian,” said the resident director, who is the mayor’s son.
The nurses and medical ancillary staff have notified management of their commitment to continue working despite their “difficult situation,” he added.
Like their counterparts on Rota who were also hired through SEAS, nurses on Tinian have complained about salary delays.
They have not been paid their salaries for the April 25 to May 22 pay periods.
A resident who declined to be identified said the people on Rota and Tinian “have a predicament on their hands regarding the salaries of nurses. This about a month after it was shown that money gets squandered by the casino gaming commissioners on Tinian. Also, over $400,000 went to the Rota gaming commission. Why is it that 27 nurses have to endure a month with no pay, while commissioners who are not doing anything don’t miss a beat in their salaries? Especially on Rota — the people need to realize that since voting to allow a casino, some $500,000 has gone to a few with nothing to show for it. Now it appears that there is no money for real essential services.”
