The former chairman of the House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare who is now a senator, Ralph DLG. Torres, joined the meeting with Babauta who was also given a tour of the hospital’s facilities.
CNMI Congressman Gregorio C. Sablan, who arranged for the tour of the hospital, was also in the same meeting.
Babauta told reporters his office received two reports about the failed hemodialysis project.
“We’ll see what kind of progress they have made,” he said.
Federal taxpayers spent $22 million for the new hemodialysis center that was originally intended to cost only $5 million.
The hemodialysis center remains unopened due to design flaws and the CNMI Department of Public Health’s failure to get a certification for its reverse osmosis water system.
The initial certification was found to have been faked.
Moreover, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has yet to certify the Commonwealth Health Center.
CMS is a federal agency that administers the Medicare program.
Medicare is a social insurance program for people 65 years old and above who meet certain special criteria.
Medicaid is a federally subsidized health insurance program for low-income persons and their families.
Babauta said the CNMI has not made any formal request for additional funding to correct the deficiencies at the hemodialysis center.
He was scheduled to visit Tinian yesterday but cancelled it due to the bad weather.
Visiting the Tinian Health Center was part of his agenda.
He is also scheduled to visit Rota Health Center. His delegation is leaving the CNMI on Jan. 14.
