February 22, 2018

(Hagåtña) – Senator Tommy Morrison asked what the consequences will be if there is no stable funding source dedicated to the hospital.

“The hospital has been challenged daily. We are on credit holds with certain vendors – which provide the hospital supplies, equipment, or services. Some vendors don’t even honor our purchase orders because we have outstanding payables to them, and that’s very difficult,” said Benita Manglona. “This will mean cutting back beds, cutting down Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, cutting down telemetry,” added Manglona.

There are critical services that are necessary at our island’s only public hospital. It cannot afford to lose anymore – because lives cannot afford to be lost anymore.

“You need nurses to staff those beds, when there’s not enough staff, they have to cut down the beds,” said Manglona.

Our hospital has been treading water for YEARS. This is a decades-old problem that really needs our leaders to address this TODAY. It is harder than ever – as patients increase, the hospital’s revenue is only seeing a decrease. It is a complete crisis and needs to be addressed immediately.

Today, the Legislature has the opportunity before them to fully fund GMH with a dedicated funding source every year moving forward, and put an end to a failed forty-year cycle of funding.

GMH has been underfunded by an incredible $30M a year, every year, the past several decades.

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