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CHC lacks a general surgeon at present
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Posted on May 06 2009
All patients requiring major operations in the next few days will be referred off island because the Commonwealth Health Center has no general surgeon at present.
Pedro T. Untalan, Deputy Secretary for Hospital Administration, said yesterday the lone general surgeon at CHC, Dr. John Yarofalar, has been on leave since Thursday last week and should return by next week. Yarofalar, who graduated from the University of Hawaii John Burns School of Medicine, is from Yap.
Because of this, Untalan said the Department of Public Health is actively looking for another fulltime general surgeon so that one would always be available in case the other is on leave.
The problem, he said, is that the CNMI is having difficulty recruiting needed hospital personnel. The two major obstacles are location and the smaller salary the CNMI is offering.
DPH is also currently looking for three anesthesiologists to complete the slot.
“Recruitment has always been a challenge for us,” Untalan said.
The CNMI government offers its general surgeons only $180,000 per annum, compared to the $250,000 Guam offers.
He said private practitioners in Guam earn about $300,000 to $400,000.
In cases where the hospital lacks a suitable personnel, Untalan said the CNMI usually turns to Guam for assistance. However, Guam also currently lacks a general surgeon that they could send to Saipan due to the recent death of Dr. Eduardo Cruz.
There are no general surgeons in private practice in the CNMI.
“What we have are eye surgeons, anesthesiologists, EE&T [eye, ear, nose, throat] specialists,” Untalan said.
For general surgery, DPH said it will make sure that all patients are referred to Guam, which is the nearest from Saipan.
DPH had been getting the services of Dr. John Fergurgur from Guam, who visits at the end of each month to provide coverage.
