Candidate for Governor Faoa Aitofele Sunia says the root of problems plaguing the LBJ Hospital is the government not giving the hospital funds that the federal government gave for the hospital.
Health, education and economic development were the key topics that Faoa and his running mate Larry Sanitoa discussed at their first town hall meeting held at Iliili last Friday evening.
Faoa explained that the US Government provides about $6 million annually for the hospital however when the money comes in its not given to the hospital as its supposed to but the Treasurer holds or sits on it.
He asked a rhetorical question, “why does they Treasurer hold onto the money?” Then answered, “so the money can be used for other things.”
Faoa said with 90 percent of the government’s budget going to pay personnel costs, he believes when there’s not enough money to meet payroll, the money for the hospital is used to cover paychecks.
He said the effect of the hospital not getting money intended to pay bills and cover costs, is that patients wait a long time for treatment or, medication is either not enough or not the best.
Faoa said he and Sanitoa have decided many changes are needed at the LBJ Hospital so that things can be improved and they believe resolving the funding situation is a start.
One of the participants of the meeting Toaga Seumalo, a former director of nursing with 30 years of service at LBJ Hospital vouched that the hospital spends $115,000 each week on medication and other pharmaceutical supplies.
She agrees that the government’s failure to pay the federal subsidy due the hospital as well as the wage tax is hurting the hospital.
Seumalo said she learned just recently that the administration was three months behind on payment of the monthly subsidies for LBJ .
The former director of nursing also drew the candidates attention to the need to improve preventative health care which is the responsibility of the Department of Health.
She said many people are sick and coming to the hospital to be cured and it’s her belief things wouldn’t be this bad if preventative health care was adequate.
Seumalo said DOH was also the designated agency to receive federal grants for health care.
