If the CEO of the LBJ Hospital had his way, the Behavioural Health Center which was opened last year would no longer receive funding from the LBJ.
Faumuina John Faumuina told yesterday’s cabinet meeting that LBJ has been funding the mental health facility since it opened last year.
At the start of the current fiscal year the LBJ Hospital and Department of Health jointly funded the center.
But he said come October 1st he start of fiscal year 2018, LBJ can no longer afford to provide funding and he was leaving this task to Director of Health Motusa Tuileama Nua and his department.
Faumuina jokingly said that Motusa has more patience and more resources but for him he was worried that he may end up being a patient of the mental health facility worrying about how to fund it.
His announcement didn’t seem to register with Governor Lolo Moliga who after thanking the LBJ CEO for sharing the responsibility of funding the center, said the current arrangement should continue.
Lolo said the center provides a vitally needed service in the territory and LBJ and DOH should continue to share the costs of staffing and operating the facility.
