THE Department of Public Health wants the CNMI Medical Profession Licensing Board to notify all doctors, nurses and other medical professionals about the expiration of their licenses way before the due date to avoid disruption of health care services.
Acting Health Secretary Pete Untalan’s request came out on the same day that Rota residents complained that none of the only two licensed physicians on the island were available to take care of patients.
On April 2, one of the two physicians at Rota Health Center did not report to work pending the renewal of his CNMI license.
The other doctor was sick and was not able to work, said Untalan.
“This does not happen all the time. But we want to prevent it from happening again. A doctor cannot provide medical care without a valid license,” he said.
Public Health wrote a letter to MPLB Chairman David Hardt, requesting the board to make “notifications” regarding expiring licenses, Untalan said.
“We have written to the board and asked the board, as a courtesy to all practitioners—be they physicians, or dentists or ancillary providers—to at least send a notification of their licenses’ impending due dates and the need to re-apply,” Untalan said.
He said while this is a “professional responsibility” on the part of the doctors and medical personnel, the board should also take the lead.
“Most jurisdictions do this. The list is computerized and it gives you a rundown of whose license is going to expire,” said Untalan.
