Rep. Ralph DLG Torres, R-Saipan, said patients are also deprived of quality healthcare facilities, except for some federally funded programs.
“We must…request for assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide us with professionals, technical services, and grants as we move forward in identifying further problems and assessing proper solutions,” Torres told Sablan.
The CNMI and other American territories are not covered by the Obama administration’s universal healthcare plan and it’s unclear why, Sablan earlier said.
In a letter to Sablan, Torres said 147 survey forms were distributed at the Commonwealth Health Center. At least 12 of the respondents are doctors, 72 are nurses and the rest are hospital staff.
Based on their answers, Torres said he found out that there are not enough doctors and other medical personnel who can serve the CNMI public.
“It is apparently clear that our people are not getting the health services they need due to lack of doctors, nurses, support staff, technicians, lab service, radiology, etc. We have patients waiting for three to four hours in the ER and only to be informed that no doctors are available to assist them and to go to a private clinic,” Torres said.
He said he took those complaints seriously and conducted an oversight hearing about the state of public health in the CNMI.
He said the retention of medical personnel is a serious problem at CHC.
“There is a serious need to address the problem in recruitment and retention of doctors. There is a high turnover of doctors, which causes the lack of stability within patient-doctor relationship and following through with specific healthcare needs for patients,” he said.
“Additionally, there were several complaints from physicians that contracts are not honored as promised. The emergency room is in serious shortage of doctors, which substantially affects the entire operation of CHC. There is also a limited number of internal medicine physicians. Interestingly, nurses and staff also echoed the need for more doctors,” he added.
Problems with the administrative operations of CHC were also noted in the survey.
Torres said the hospital has a poor records and billing system which affects its operations.
The hospital’s procurement process is not efficient, he added.
“A delay in the procurement process has caused shortage of medical supplies and equipment. When supplies are short and equipment are obsolete, our doctors and nurses’ ability to provide the good healthcare are compromised.”
He said an independent commission should be formed to study the problems at CHC and come up with long-term solutions.
“I recommend that the professional and technical services consider the need to have an independent commission who are educated in this specific field to make recommendations on the current system. It is my hope that someday, through this proposed commission there will be no need for political interference and that the operation of CHC should be operated independently,” he said.
