LIEUTENANT Governor Arnold I. Palacios was medically evacuated to Hawaii early Friday morning, accompanied by his wife, second lady Wella Palacios.
This was confirmed by Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna during a media briefing on Friday morning.
Muna also thanked the governor for putting things in motion to assist Palacios with his medical transfer.
She said the level of medical care that the lt. governor needs is not available on Guam or in the CNMI.
He was transported to Hawaii via a U.S. Air Force aircraft “for additional testing and treatment.”
His office said he has arrived in Hawaii and is currently resting comfortably in his room at The Queens Medical Center.
“Though he is in stable condition and still experiencing pain in his lower back, Lt. Governor Palacios remains in good spirits. He wishes to thank the community for the outpouring of prayers and support for him and his family.
“The Office of the Lieutenant Governor will continue to provide updates as they become available.”
Message from Mrs. Palacios
On Sunday, second lady Wella Palacios issued the following statement from The Queen’s Healthcare Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i:
“On behalf of Arnold, myself and our children, I would like to extend our deepest appreciation to all who played a part in responding to my husband’s health situation. Thank you to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation medical team, the Department of Defense, military personnel, friends and family. We are humbled by the outpouring of love, support, prayers and well wishes from the community. As of now, Arnold is doing well and following his doctor’s orders to rest here at the hospital. We ask for your continued prayers and we will keep everyone back home updated on the status of his health.”
Deepest gratitude
In a statement on Sunday, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres extended his deepest gratitude and appreciation to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Commonwealth Ports Authority for their collaboration in ensuring that the lt. governor was timely and safely transported to Hawaii for medical treatment.
“Shortly after the incident at the Guma’ Hustisia on Tuesday, I personally called Maj. Gen. Mark Hashimoto to request air transportation and a medical team to transport the Lt. Governor, so that he may be taken care of by the appropriate medical professionals,” the governor said. “Shortly after that request was placed, the mission to transport the Lt. Governor was approved by the U.S. Department of Defense.”
Torres added, “I would like to thank the U.S. DOD, Maj. Gen. Mark Hashimoto and his team, Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, Adm. John Aquilino, the Joint Operations Center team at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Capt. Kim Hofschneider, and especially the air crew and medical team, for all their work and assistance to speedily ensure that Lt. Governor Palacios was transported safely.”
The governor likewise thanked “CHCC CEO Esther Muna, Covid-19 Task Force Chairman Warren Villagomez, and the CNMI Medical Referral Office, as well as the Medical Referral Office in Hawaii, for coordinating the Lt. Governor’s medical arrangements.”
Additionally, “I want to thank CBP CNMI Ports Director Jeff Hofschneider, CPA Executive Director Chris Tenorio, and CPA Chairwoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds for their collaboration in facilitating the safe arrival and departure of the DOD aircraft, military, and health officials at our airport for Lt. Governor Palacios,” the governor said.
“On behalf of the First Lady, my family, and myself, I continue to ask the CNMI to pray for the speedy recovery and good health of Lt. Governor Palacios,” said Governor Torres.
Short break
The lt. governor was in the middle of his testimony in Superior Court on Tuesday morning regarding CNMI travel regulations when he asked Judge Pro Tem Alberto E. Tolentino for a “short break.”
After the judge granted the lt. governor’s request, Palacios stood up but fell. Responding fire department personnel then transported him to the hospital.
Palacios’s office said he had “experienced numbness and significant discomfort in his lower back,” but “is in good spirits and is resting under continued observation of our highly qualified healthcare professionals and CHCC.”
In an interview in August 2021, Palacios said he had recovered from sciatica pain after a successful surgery in Arizona.
Arnold I. Palacios
