Tinian delegation pushes anew for restoration of patients' free meal

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Tinian delegation pushes anew for restoration of patients' free meal

The four-member Tinian Legislative Delegation is again asking the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. to restore the free meals for Tinian and Rota hemodialysis patients, saying that there are other areas where CHC could cut spending, including non-hiring of non-essential employees at this time.

The delegation is also requesting CHC to provide an “accurate description of [its] financial situation.”

Senate Vice President Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian) said providing free meal to Tinian and Rota patients is a “miniscule obligation,” which he estimates at $50,000 a year that could be an equivalent of one employee's salary.

“We have a hard time believing that CHC does not have the money for the patients' meal when they continue to hire non-essential employees. We could understand if they are hiring doctors, but they continue to hire administrative employees,” Hofschneider told Saipan Tribune.

Hofschneider said after some Tinian officials made their formal request with CHC to restore the patients' free meal, the delegation also wrote a Feb. 7 letter asking the same.

“As of Feb. 15, we haven't received a response from CHC. They are still not restoring the free meal to these patients. These patients are not here by choice. If the services provided on Saipan are also provided on Tinian and Rota, they won't come here. Another thing we're concerned about is that CHC should continue to provide the meal because theirs is approved by nutritionists,” he added.

Hofschneider, in his one-page letter to CHC chief executive officer Juan N. Babauta, said although the delegation is cognizant of CHC's financial situation, they are “disappointed” by its decision to stop providing meal service to Tinian and Rota patients.

“Furthermore, it is displeasing to learn that while you have decided to cut this miniscule service and burden employees with austerity measures, you were still able to hire new employees and offer certain current employees a raise. These actions send a very confusing message to the Delegation and the [CNMI] Legislature, with whom you are requesting to assist CHC with its monetary problems,” he told Babauta.

Babauta issued a memo stating that meal services and bottled water for Rota and Tinian medical referral patients staying at the guest house will be discontinued on Feb. 1, 2012, and these services may only resume if funding is made available.

CHC was not able to pay on time its non-essential employees on Friday, and Babauta asked the Legislature to immediately approve an $11.58 million line of credit bill that will help CHC with its finances until it gets back on its feet. The House passed the bill on Monday, but the Senate won't have a session until Feb. 23.

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Tinian delegation pushes anew for restoration of patients' free meal