The COVID testing machine for the LBJ Hospital known as the AB1-7500 will be ready after a final conference call this morning with the company that did the design, GLHN Contractor of Arizona.
The CEO of the LBJ Hospital Faumuina John Faumuina says this will be the final run to make sure everything works as planned and required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service to comply with the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988. Then the equipment will be officially handed over.
Training of the LBJ Lab staff was conducted by Major Dancy of the US Army Medical Laboratory through FEMA last week.
The hospital now has 51 ventilators with the recent arrival of the last ten ventilators which were on order.
Faumuina said the total number of ventilators requested by the LBJ medical and ancillary staff is 50.
KHJ News asked the CEO about the concerns raised by VA Director Dr Fred Uhrle regarding medical staffing.
“Manpower or staff shortage is not unique to LBJ. It’s a national problem faced by all states of the union,” said Faumuina. “FEMA is reaching out to off-island providers in the US for assistance in the event LBJ and DOH get bombarded with COVID-19 patients.
“Meantime, we continue to push our recruitment off-island but it is difficult when countries and jurisdictions are now restricting their professional staff from leaving as they themselves are facing the threat of staffing shortages because of the coronavirus.”
The CEO added that the Nursing Director is also working closely with the American Samoa Nurses Association as we prepare for the worse.
He said, “LBJ has been working in addressing the staff shortage problem plus other problems as well when the COVID 19 virus issue first came up. We know what we are doing, so be patient.”
Regarding medical supplies and Personal Protective Equipment Faumuina explained that they maintain a 30 days supplies for both medical and other supplies needed to combat COVID 19 . Supplies are brought in on the cargo flights that come in every Friday and the ocean freighters twice a month.
According to the CEO, LBJ has a disaster committee that is responsible in preventing all disastrous situations that will and may impact delivery of care to patients.
Asked if LBJ requires additional funding for COVID-19 preparations the CEO responded, “Of course, with these new added costs to the LBJ operation associated with COVID-19, we definitely need additional funding, not only medical and pharmaceutical supplies, equipment but also the infrastructure development as well. For example the expansion of laboratory for new machines and inpatient units for admission of COVID 19 patients.
Is this being addressed?
“Yes, this is being addressed with the Task Force and FEMA,” assured the CEO.
