TWO additional government clinics on Saipan are scheduled to open in the next few months because of the increasing number of patients that need medical care, according to Health Secretary James U. Hofschneider.
Hofschneider said the Department of Public Health’s opening of the San Roque and Kagman clinics will serve the needs of the residents of northern and eastern Saipan.
The San Roque facility, which will be called Sagan Hinemlo Famalao’an yan Famagu’on, will provide immunization and prenatal/postpartum care.
Hofschneider said the other preventive and primary care health center will benefit the “largely underserved eastern community” of Kagman which has approximately 5,000 households.
Simultaneous with the opening of the two clinics, Public Health will also expand the Commonwealth Health Center in Garapan, Rota Health Center and San Antonio Southern Wellness Clinic.
He said the medical needs of CNMI residents will be met regardless of their ability to pay.
“Every patient should and will have access to basic medical care, and no one will be denied service because of inability to pay at any of our government health facilities,” Hofschneider said.
Greater access to medical care and medicine also await Rota and Tinian, according to Hofschneider. This would be done through recruitment of physicians and training of support staff, he said. Commonwealth Health Center specialists will also be brought to Tinian and Rota on a regular basis.
“This is part of the philosophy of bringing medicine to the people, promoting better access to health care and minimizing costs,” Hofschneider said.
Public Health has applied for a federal grant in response to the threat of bioterrorism. Part of that money will assist Rota Health Center and Tinian Health Center in upgrading their laboratory capacities and improving inter-island communications.
This will include the availability and use of live video teleconferencing for medical consultations, according to Hofschneider.
