A number of Tinian patients who needed to be seen by doctors on Saipan could not be flown here following the suspension of medical referrals for two weeks now.
The Senate yesterday met with Finance Secretary Larrisa Larson, Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez, medical referral director Ronald Sablan and Freedom Air manager Dennis Cruz in an effort to resolve the matter.
Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, said they wanted to identify the problem behind the delay in payments.
He said the main reason was the delay in the release of government travel requests, or GTR’s, required by Freedom Air. But the GTR comes out only if the government pays its outstanding balance.
Freedom Air manager Cruz said the government owes them $47,000.
He asked senators and Finance to give him until 5 p.m. yesterday to decide whether to lift the suspension.
In a telephone interview last night, Hofschneider said the $47,000 had been paid but as of 9 p.m., the suspension had not been lifted.
During yesterday’s Senate hearing, Tinian Mayor Ramon M. Dela Cruz and Tinian Health Center resident physician Stephan Lebamoff expressed their disappointment over the suspension.
Dela Cruz said the government has failed the people in providing the most basic and essential public service.
He said he had tried to be diplomatic but “it is time to point fingers and place blame as our people are suffering and are demanding better service from our government.”
He said everybody is aware of the government’s cash flow problems but “we cannot morally justify not being able to provide essential medical service because of lack of funding.”
An irate Lebamoff said “it’s a shame that we can send senators to Washington, D.C., but we cannot send Tinian patients to Saipan.”
Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind-Rota, told the doctor that he, Lebamoff, should talk to Public Health officials who are his bosses.
Manglona added, “Don’t be afraid to get fired for screaming like that because you are smart but you are barking at the wrong tree. I wish that you spend that same energy on speaking to your own bosses.”
Dela Cruz said he was informed by the Tinian Health Center two weeks ago that the inter-island medical referral was suspended.
He said he was not given advance notice from Public Health so he could have properly notified the people of Tinian.
Ailing residents of Tinian and their families have sought his assistance, the mayor said.
These patients cannot afford to pay the airfare to Saipan, he added.
Some had to cancel their medical appointments, but “there are those who couldn’t delay their appointments, and I had no choice but to pay out of my own pocket their tickets to Saipan,” he said.
Dela Cruz strongly urged Public Health officials and Freedom Air to reinstate the medical referral program “before someone dies due to government negligence and ineptitude for not being able to fund, manage and sustain this program.”
Freedom Air’s Cruz said he has been helping the government for the longest time but his company is now sick and tired of waiting for payments.
“When you ask for my help it takes only one minute for me to respond, but when I ask for payment, I have to wait for two years,” he said.
Finance Secretary Larson said her department is up to date in making payments to Freedom Air. But the big issue has always been releasing the GTR’s in a timely manner.
She said the $47,000 the government owed Freedom Air was the most recent, but the check was ready to be released.
