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DPH lobbying to keep one of its doctors
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Posted on Sep 20 2008
The Department of Public Health is working with the CNMI Legislature to change the wording of a public law that is preventing one of the island’s doctors from working.
Under Public Law 15-108, known as the Commonwealth Employment Act of 2007, employment by the Commonwealth government is limited to citizens and permanent residents. There are exemptions for several governmental agencies, including DPH. Within DPH, physicians or dentists who are board-certified in the United States or Canada are eligible to practice.
However, non-citizen and non-resident physicians who are only U.S. board-eligible, as is one doctor at DPH, are not able to practice, said DPH Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez.
Villagomez said they are working with the Legislature to try to change the wording.
According to the Commonwealth Employment Act of 2007, the law is necessary to provide a local work force that is well qualified for the growth and development of the CNMI’s economy. Under the Act, citizens and permanent residents “must be given preference over foreign workers imported to fill specific jobs.”
Also, according to the Act, wages must be increased for citizens and permanent residents to make the jobs more attractive, otherwise “much of the Commonwealth’s investment in secondary and postsecondary education for its citizens will be lost as those citizens migrate outside the Commonwealth to find good paying jobs.”
Last year, outgoing Medical Affairs Division director Dr. Robin Shearer said the CNMI continues to suffer from a lack of medical professionals because the salaries and compensation are not competitive to those in the U.S. and other areas. In the CNMI, physician salaries are capped at $50,000. Gov. Benigno Fitial last month vetoed legislation to raise the cap.
