Variety was told yesterday there was still no new medical director appointed even in an acting capacity for the Division of Public Health.
Dr. Shirish Balachandra left his post as medical director mid-January after his contract was not renewed.
He succeeded Dr. Richard Brostrom who left for Hawaii in August 2010.
Apart from being a medical director, Balachandra was also assigned to the emergency room of the Commonwealth Health Center.
His departure leaves CHC with only five ER doctors who work on 24-hour shifts.
In 2009, the hospital lost at least 10 staff nurses and 21 other medical and administrative personnel.
These included two licensed practical nurses, a nurse midwife, two clinical laboratory scientists, a staff pharmacist and pharmacy specialist who quit their jobs for unspecified reasons.
The hospital’s staff physical therapist, food service manager, kitchen helper, three eligibility workers, a clinical attendant, a security guard, communication operator and two medical referral assistants left in 2009.
The department was placed under a state of medical emergency last year to exempt it from certain policies in hiring medical personnel outside of the U.S.
As of last year, the hospital had 187 nurses and 80 percent of them were from foreign countries.
Some nonresident nurses said apart from a lack of medical director they are also confused on what’s going to happen to their status after Nov. 2011 when their umbrella permits expire.
Under Public Law 16-51 or the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation Act of 2008, the department is supposed to turn the public hospital and the clinics on Rota and Tinian, including the Community Guidance Center, the Children and Women’s Clinic, and the inter-island medical referral services, into a healthcare corporation this year.
Variety repeatedly tried but failed to get comments from health officials.
