Reggie Quiming, RHC’s nursing department head, yesterday said taking a day off was difficult.
But despite the lack of nurses, she said RHC’s operation has not been affected since they are attending to mostly outpatients.
Seven of the 10 nurses who stopped working starting on July 7 have not returned to the center.
Of the seven, five have expired contracts with the Saipan Employment Agency & Services.
Quiming could not say why the two nurses with existing contracts with SEAS were not allowed to return to work.
RHC resident director Crispin Ayuyu was not available for comment yesterday.
Rabby Syed, United Workers Movement president, said the situation of the SEAS nurses on Rota could have been avoided if the CNMI government looked into their employment situation.
He urged the Department of Public Health and Rota Mayor Melchor A. Mendiola to immediately resolve the problem.
The nurses are very essential to the delivery of basic health services the community, Syed said, adding that an immediate solution to the problem will not only benefit the nurses but also the public.
Quiming said based on her information, SEAS will renew the contracts of the five nurses.
But SEAS officials have yet to come to Rota to finalize the contracts, she added.
During a recent visit, Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez also suggested giving the nurses’ new contracts, she said.
