The first and only health survey conducted by the Department of Public Health in Kagman revealed that only 12 percent of about 500 respondents believed they were in excellent health.
The survey noted that the lack of access to medical care, a high number of uninsured and poor health rates are the reasons for establishing a health center in Kagman.
According to the survey, 16 percent of the respondents were in very good health; 42 percent reported were in good health; while 28 percent stated that their health was fair.
But 30 percent of the respondents had at least one household member with chronic illness including mental or physical disability.
Data showed 156 had diabetes, 43 have asthma, 18 had high blood pressure and 14 had heart problems.
Torres said residents of Kagman have a hard time getting the needed health care due to distance and lack of transportation.
Located on the east side of the island, Kagman is seven miles away from the closest clinic.
Since there is no public transportation on island, 46 percent of Kagman’s households cited transportation problem as one of the reasons for not getting the health care they needed.
Based on the survey results, Kagman has low immunization rates, poor oral health care, late prenatal visits high, high teen pregnancy rate and high rate of teen use of tobacco and alcohol.
Although 57 percent of the household owned at least one vehicle, a little over 12 percent did not have any vehicle to use.
Twenty-four percent of the surveyed households were unemployed and 23.6 percent had less than a $10,000 annual income.
Torres said the other pressing health issues in their community include the lack of wastewater and the rampant illegal dumping of garbage.
A little over 66 percent of the households had no water catchments and 12 percent did not own a refrigerator, the survey stated.
Torres said there is also a need to address their poor roads and lack of alternate routes to and from the village.
The Department of Public Health conducted the survey in 2004 to justify the need for a Kagman Community Health Center.
The project, however, did not materialize.
In a separate interview, House Minority Leader Oscar M. Babauta, Covenant-Saipan, said the health center project should be “revisited” again as soon as the government’s financial situation improves.
Babauta was speaker of the House when the funding for the project was used to procure a mobile clinic.
He noted that Kagman now has the densest population on Saipan and has two separate electoral precincts.
Babauta said he supports the Kagman health center project and will ask his colleagues to “push for it.”
Torres said the Kagman Komunidat Association will schedule a public hearing to discuss the project.
He will also consult with Saipan Republican Reps. Rosemond B. Santos and Edward T. Salas, who represent Kagman in the House.
“This project is very beneficial to our community so it is important to explore an alternative means to make this happen,” Torres said.
