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Rota center sees 59 pct. hike in patient numbers since ’98
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Posted on Nov 03 2011
By Moneth Deposa
Reporter
Reporter
Acting Rota Health Center resident director Edward Maratita disclosed yesterday that more and more island residents are getting sick, as shown by the center’s records in the last 13 years.
He disclosed that the center only had 705 patients back in fiscal year 1998, which translates to about 35 patients every day. In fiscal year 2011, which just ended on Sept. 30, 2011, that number has grown to 1,100 patients-a jump of 59 percent that translates to 56 patients seen daily.
Maratita described this significant increase as alarming and is something that needs to be prioritized by both the municipality and the healthcare corporation, which now handles all Commonwealth health centers and clinics.
While the patient count is increasing, the center’s workforce is going the other way, continuing to decline year after year due to budget constraints, Maratita said. At present, the center has 52 personnel, including just two physicians and seven nurses.
Among the important positions that need to be filled are the pharmacist and physician assistant posts, he said. He hopes the new corporation will look at this as among the areas that need to be addressed at once.
“Our concern is the delivery of healthcare services to our people. I hope, under the corporation, we can fill those important positions,” Maratita said.
Since Oct. 1, all health centers on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota have been under the corporation, which now functions as an independent agency. The corporation also absorbed all the functions of the Department of Public Health. About 600 personnel were absorbed by corporation.
