HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Sen. Frank Blas Jr. is asking Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero to utilize American Rescue Plan funding to upgrade the Southern Region Community Health Center, including the addition of a 24-hour urgent care facility, to better serve the island’s southern residents.
“The center is underutilized due to its limited hours and services. By staffing and retrofitting it to include a 24-hour urgent care facility, you can provide immediate emergency medical services to the residents of the area, who currently must travel long distances to reach the nearest hospital. In addition, you can procure and maintain two ambulances for the center, which can offer prompt aid and transport to the patients, either to the center itself or to a hospital in case of extreme situations,” Blas stated in a letter sent to Leon Guerrero on Monday.
The senator said the investment would not only save lives, but also improve health outcomes and the quality of life for southern residents, as well as create jobs and stimulate the economy.
“The American Rescue Plan offers a unique opportunity to address the health disparities and challenges faced by our southern community. I urge you to use this opportunity wisely and allocate the funds for the Southern Regional Community Health Center,” Blas added.
The senator’s suggestion comes amid ongoing debate over whether to build a new hospital in Tamuning, which members of the medical community are advocating for, or move forward with a full medical complex in the Barrigada-Mangilao area, which is the governor’s proposal.
However, before the government can consider building a new hospital or medical complex at any site, Blas said, he believes the island’s current health care situation needs to be resolved first.
“Many people who testified in favor of building a medical facility in Mangilao instead of Tamuning cited the long travel time and distance from the southern villages to the Guam Memorial Hospital as major issues. Another troubling aspect of their testimonies was the lack of adequate medical transport services and the disregard for the Southern Region Community Health Center,” Blas stated in his letter.
Krystal Paco-San Agustin, the governor’s spokesperson, said the governor’s administration greatly appreciates any desire to recognize the ongoing health needs of southern residents and, in that respect, “will partner with anyone.”
But she added that testimony from southern residents “made clear” that they need closer access to acute and emergency care, which Paco-San Agustin said an urgent care facility cannot provide.
“To this point, a witness in favor of the governor’s proposed site for a medical complex testified that he was redirected from an urgent care facility to GMH because that facility could not address what they thought might be an ongoing heart attack,” Paco-San Agustin added.
The Southern Region Community Health Center is seen in Inalåhan on May 23, 2023.
