Freddy U. Hofschneider, in an interview Wednesday, said the hiring of nurses and other healthcare staffers through a manpower agency has been the practice here for many years.
He said it was only last year when the Tinian Health Center began directly hiring staffers.
Hofschneider said there is now a proposal to once again tap manpower agencies, but he is not aware if a final decision has already been made.
“I have to support what the CEO decides,” he added, referring to former Gov. Juan N. Babauta.
In the past, the manpower agencies on Rota and Tinian took almost half of the staffers’ salary, bringing their morale down and negatively affecting the islands’ healthcare. It also didn’t help that the government could not pay the manpower agencies on time.
Hofschneider also disclosed that of their 15 medical staffers, including nurses, only two have been with them for many years and have housing benefits.
He said since he became the acting director on Oct. 3, it has been a part of the employment negotiation that recently hired staffers won’t have housing benefits.
