ON Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, the Rotary Club of Tokyo-West, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Saipan, donated two portable General Electric echocardiogram machines to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation during a handoff ceremony in the hospital’s conference room.
According to Dr. Peter Gregor, CHCC cardiologist and a past president of the Rotary Club of Saipan, each machine costs around $50,000.
Gregor, who was also instrumental in the local Rotary Club’s efforts to secure funding for the purchase of the machines, said they will be used for patients in need of cardiology consultations on Rota and Tinian.
The machines can identify heart attacks, valve problems, and heart defects, he told the Rotarians and CHCC staff who gathered for the handoff ceremony.
He said getting access to cardiology care for residents of Tinian and Rota is “extremely expensive” because it involves patients coming to Saipan.
In a presentation, he showed that if 10 Rota residents fly to Saipan for treatment, the total cost is around $3,300 for airfare alone.
“Let’s turn that, flip it on its head and take a machine and echocardiogram technician to each of the other islands. Do 10 echocardiograms each trip and you now have cut the cost of this essential diagnostic tool by 90%,” he said.
“By bringing the machine and the technician to the patients residing on these islands, it will be a tremendous saving in flight cost, but also in [terms of] time and inconvenience for these people. We believe the measurable sustainability here will be to increase the number of echocardiograms on each of these islands, thereby demonstrating the value of this grant,” he added.
Rotary Club of Tokyo-West President Jun Kono said that they hope the donation “improves the medical care in the islands of Rota and Tinian making it safer and more reliable.”
“I am truly delighted that through this sustainable service project we have been able to strengthen our connection with the Saipan Rotary Club,” Kono said.
He added that the collaboration is part of a service project commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Tokyo-West.
For her part, local club president Joann Aquino said the project began after local Rotarians and their Japanese counterparts met at the February Rotary District Conference in Japan.
“This project is especially meaningful as it represents the first time that the Rotary Club of Saipan has served as a host club for the Rotary Foundation grant,” she said. “[It] exemplifies the true spirit of Rotary International: building bridges across oceans to serve humanity.”
Halina Palacios, center left, CHCC corporate operations officer for population health, receives a portable echocardiogram machine from Jun Kono, Rotary Club of Tokyo-West president. Also in photo are other Rotarians.
Saipan Rotary Club President Joann Aquino delivers her remarks. Also photographed, front row, second from left is Dr. Peter Gregor.
A picture of what the echocardiogram machine is capable of doing for patients.
