Santos expresses support for CHCC budget

A Senate lawmaker supports the Commonwealth Healthcare Center’s request for $90 million in the fiscal year 2018 budget proposal, along with the over $12 million budget request of the Medical Referral Services for the same fiscal year.

Senate Health and Welfare Committee chair Sen. Teresita Santos (R-Rota) told Saipan Tribune yesterday that she applauds the corporation’s efforts to increase the salaries of its medical staff to make the corporation more competitive with the likes of Guam and the U.S. mainland.

“This will definitely attract [key medical positions] to apply in the Commonwealth, most especially during this time when the CNMI is encountering CW-1 issues,” said Santos, adding that the increase would also be implemented for both Rota and Tinian health center employees.

Along with salary increases, CHCC has also been vocal about procuring more equipment in order to upgrade its services, which is also included in the $90-million budget proposal.

“CHCC has the intent of upgrading its services, which in turn may help to reduce the costs of sending patients outside of the CNMI [through the Medical Referral System],” said Santos.

According to Santos, sending patients outside of the CNMI for medical services costs the government an average of $13 million to $15 million annually.

Among other improvements, Santos wishes the corporation would provide free meals to Rota and Tinian inter-island referrals. Santos stated that the meals would greatly assist patients who are “displaced [due to] the lack of dialysis centers on Rota and Tinian and whose stipends have been discontinued.”

Yet Santos herself acknowledges that CHCC may not get the entire $90 million it is asking for for next fiscal year.

MRS supported by Santos

Santos also expressed support for the $12 million budget request of the Medical Referral Services for fiscal year 2018.

“Until CHCC can adequately provide the necessary medical services required for our patients and in order to perfect our medical referral services and program, it is incumbent on the CNMI Legislature to appropriate sufficient funding for our medical referral program,” said Santos.

According to her, Medical Referral Services numbers show that the CNMI refers on average 60 patients to Guam, 28 to 30 patients to Hawaii, and 32 to 35 patients to the Philippines each month.

“These estimates cost the CNMI government [about] $13 million to $15 million annually,” she said.

A small portion of patients that could not be accommodated by one of these three referral locations are sent to San Diego, California.

“Averaging five to six patients per month, it is necessary that funding be appropriated so our referral patients in San Diego can avail of the same services that we provide [to] Guam, Philippines, and Hawaii referrals,” she said.

According to Santos, patients referred to San Diego are assisted by the CNMI San Diego Club, which is led by Dave Atalig, Yvonne Omengabar, Becky Norita, and Sue Cabrera “without any form of compensation or payment.”

The fiscal year 2018 budget is currently being discussed at the House of Representatives. House Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Angel Demapan (R-Saipan) told Saipan Tribune last week that a budget bill could be expected at the end of the month.

Following the passage and adoption of the budget bill at the House level, the budget bill then goes to the Senate’s Fiscal Affairs Committee before going to the Senate floor. Once passed by both Senate and House, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres would then review the bill.