Bed Sheets for Dressings, Trash Bags as Underpass

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Nurses at the LBJ Hospital are speaking up about the shortage of medical supplies at the hospital which they say is affecting the quality of patient care.

They say they’re having to use bed sheets to make dressing changes as the hospital has run out of dressing supplies; trash bags and gowns are being used as underpass for hospital beds, and basic supplies such as gloves, gauze pads and underpads are out.

LBJ is also reported to be out of some IV solutions.

Nurses who spoke with KHJ News say the situation is very bad and they spoke up in order to get the public’s attention and hopefully prompt the government leaders to act.

Last month the Chairman of the Hospital Authority Board Leilua Mase Akapo informed Governor Lolo that LBJs account payables had reached $8 million.

Sources tell KHJ News unpaid bills for medical supplies represents about three quarters of the hospital’s account payables.
Off island vendors are requiring the hospital to pay up front for any orders before they release supplies.

Freight forwarders are also not moving supplies for the hospital unless they are paid cash up front because of climbing unpaid invoices.

The chairman of the hospital board told the governor that the LBJ is in a grave financial situation because of ASG’s failure to transmit funds to the hospital.

The withheld funds, according to Leilua, include the LBJ’s monthly subsidy of $500,000 per month, the 2% wage tax and Medicare and Medicaid payments.

A report that the Chairman provided for the governor showed that the amount ASG owes LBJ was $5.7 million as of December 28.

At meetings last week between the governor, Hospital Authority Board, the CEO and Treasurer, Governor Lolo directed the treasurer to find money to pay the hospital.

Treasurer Ueligitone Tonumaipe’a maintained that the hospital owed ASG money for a 2004 loan that was given to the hospital which the government paid for, a claim that Chairman Mase has called “baloney.”

With regards to the 2% wage tax , senators learned from hearings with LBJ officials last year that the amounts paid by ASG since the $3 million loan from Workmans Compensation Fund was paid off are far below the estimates from the tax.
And ASG has not met the time line for the payments which according to the law is no later than the 5th of the month.

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