Sen. Juan M. Ayuyu, Ind-Rota and chairman of the island’s legislative delegation, said the government is still not current with its financial obligations to the Saipan Employment Agency & Services.
“We are so concerned about the situation — the nurses might walk out,” he said.
The nurses have not been paid since Oct. 2010.
Rota Health Center owes SEAS $119,000 for nursing services provided from April to Sept. 2010, and an additional $43,000 for patients referred to Saipan and accommodated at Paradise Hotel.
The Rota municipal government incurred an additional $51,000 in unpaid salaries owed to four nurses and a medical technician hired through SEAS.
Yesterday, Ayuyu said he discussed with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial the problem at Rota Health Center.
For her part, Rep. Teresita A. Santos, Ind.-Rota, said it is “critically important” to address this problem and avert a health crisis.
She said the health and welfare of the people should always be the top priority.
Santos said the medical technician and four nurses hired by SEAS have not received their salaries since Oct. 2010, but “they have been diligently providing services to the people of Rota.”
Santos said she was told by Rota Health Center resident director Crispin Ayuyu that the non-payment of wages was due to the department’s inability to pay SEAS, the principle employer of the healthcare personnel.
“On behalf of the people of Rota, I would like to extend my sympathy and sincerest gratitude to the affected nurses and auxiliary staff for their diligence in continuously providing quality medical/health services to our people and visitors in spite of their predicament,” Santos said.
She said she is confident that “the department head in close collaboration with the municipality of Rota will seriously look into resolving this problem at the earliest time possible.”
