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DPH: Diabetes control program not being phased out
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Posted on May 18 2009
The Department of Public Health assured yesterday that the Diabetes Prevention Program is still operational, following comments that it is being shut down.
Community activist Ed Propst had stated in a recent letter to the editor that the program is being phased out and that DPH is seeing a rash of demotions. His letter stated, “Our health system in the CNMI seems to have been largely ignored and forgotten.”
Pedro T. Untalan, Deputy Secretary for Hospital Administration, said that Propst is merely stating his opinion and that he could not comment on Propst’s statement.
“In the context of his submission, he is entitled to voice his opinion,” said Untalan, who is also the director for Public Health and Hospital Emergency Preparedness Programs.
Other than that, the DPH did not react to the other comments written by Propst.
Propst had raised the alarm about the possible closure of the diabetes program, pointing out that there are over 100 dialysis patients in the CNMI, yet there is only a measly $73,000 annual budget for this program.
In a recent letter by Rep. Ralph DLG. Torres to DPH Secretary Kevin Villagomez, the former asked for some information on several matters at the CHC.
These include updates on the status of Nephrology, updates on dialysis machines to be replaced, local expenditure for Fiscal Year 2009, data as to the number of dialysis patients, the status of the Hemodialysis Center and other issues.
A copy of the letter was sent to Saipan Tribune. Secretary Villagomez has yet to respond to e-mail inquiries about it.
Meanwhile, the CNMI is still at pandemic alert level Phase 5, as declared by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The DPH Emergency Operations Center’s latest health update said that there are no confirmed H1N1 flu cases reported in the CNMI.
As of May 17, WHO reported 39 countries with 8,480 cases of H1N1 and as of May 15, CDC is reporting 4,714 confirmed cases of H1N1 in 47 U.S. states.
