‘Tinian center’s expenses not justified with supporting docs’

Department of Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez said that no payments have been made yet to any vendors of the Tinian Health Center due to “unjustified expenses.”

Villagomez confirmed this Friday, saying that requests for payments have already been submitted to the Finance Department but the central government has not acted on these requests due to “undocumented and unjustified expenses” turned in by Tinian health officials.

Tinian Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz earlier said that THC had sent the Finance Department a request to pay THC vendors and midlevel providers some $200,000. Of that amount, about $70,000 is payment for physician assistant William Weiss and midlevel provider John Pangelinan, representing months of unpaid compensation for their services.

“We’re more than willing to assist and work with THC. However, there are some issues with regards to documents. If I ask the secretary of Finance to pay for something, I have to have justifications and invoices that these are indeed spent. I cannot just send a piece of bill to pay extra amount for Tinian center if I don’t have supporting documents,” Villagomez told Saipan Tribune, adding that he has already asked THC officials to provide the supporting documents.

Villagomez was seen last week meeting with Tinian Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz. The lawmaker later told Saipan Tribune that their meeting focused on health center issues, particularly the unpaid obligation to vendors.

Villgomez separately said that he informed the lawmaker about the need for supporting documents and he was assured that the senator will follow up this matter with Tinian officials.

Dela Cruz is counting on the $1.7 million that was earlier reprogrammed by the administration for CHC as result of the emergency declaration on July 21.

Villagomez could not immediately say if the $70,000 unpaid obligation to midlevel providers is considered a “priority” for the reprogrammed funds. Midlevel providers have no contracts and only serve the center on an on-call basis or during emergencies.

He reiterated, though, that “whatever obligation is to be paid has to be accompanied by the proper documents and nothing will be paid unless those expenses are justified.”

He admitted that even at CHC, not all vendors have been paid in full because of the limited funds available. However, he said that by properly identifying which should come first based on priority needs, the hospital is moving forward.

Come Oct. 1, DPH will become the Commonwealth Health Corp., a self-sustaining entity that will cover the Saipan hospital and the Tinian and Rota health clinics.