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Former lawmaker recounts CHC mishap
Former representative Ana S. Teregeyo believes the passage of House Bill 19-186 is a necessary step toward improving services at the Commonwealth Health Center, citing her own experience at the CNMI’s lone hospital as an example.
Teregeyo was happy to hear that HB 19-186 has passed the Legislature and now only waits for the signature of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres to become law.
“I am happy that after so many meetings we had between CHCC CEO and the respective committees of both Houses to address important issues, an effort has been taken to effectuate critical sections of Public Law 16-51, which created CHC as a public corporation,” said Teregeyo in an email.
Teregeyo thinks the lack of a regulatory board is why the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. is faced with many medical malpractice lawsuits, including her own.
“I am a victim, like so the many CNMI residents who undergo treatments by medical professionals on island who were certified and licensed to provide quality medical care services to CNMI residents and visitors when they need medical attention at the lone public hospital and most specially under the supervision of the current CHCC chief executive officer, Ms. Esther L. Muña,” said Teregeyo.
“I would not have felt the negligence of CHCC medical care if the CEO exercised due diligence in compliance of the PL-16-51 bylaws, allowing the orthopedic surgeon to remain during my postoperative care as a patient at CHCC,” she added.
Teregeyo claims that Muña had numerous disagreements with the previous CHCC board.
“[Muña] refused to extend courtesies to the current [board] as she claimed they were not her supervisors. There were unnecessary confrontations between the board…and the CEO that I witnessed during one of the board’s meetings,” said Teregeyo.
Teregeyo had a fractured left tibia that was treated by CHC that she claims was below applicable standard of care, costing her six additional surgeries off-island.
Teregeyo is suing Muña and other medical staff officers and later went on to sue the CNMI government altogether for the incident. The lawsuit is still pending in Superior Court.
Muña has declined to comment on the matter.
