Dear Editor
A readiness call for physicians to join the medical team to protect our borders at the 11th hour. Right after flooding our island with 4-500 mission essential workers to keep the canneries open and for the super over inflated construction projects. Not a secret, our limited Dr.’s are already over extended with age, health and energy.
This sudden massive buildup of cement infrastructure and offices in the long run, will be used as extended wards, shelters, quarters for the foreign workers, quarantine facilities and morgues…monuments for the dead.
Not to insult our physicians, but here is a provoking thought. Other than giving orders, can a physician treat, operate medical machines and equipment, care and save a life without a nurse? Can an RN or LPN do the same and sustain a life without a physician?
This war on wages and overtime pay is ongoing since the first Samoan Governor took over.
With the unprecedented cascading of emergency federal funding to assist with the COVID, there is absolutely no reason why to withhold what is due to these nurses. It is shameful that the LBJ admin is holding the nurses hostage and using patient care and lives to force the nurses to keep silent, oppressed, grovel and beg in public for what they are entitled to. The work has been accomplished. Have we lost the capacity to protect the dignity of our nurses?
I will say this, none of you LBJ administration personnel in HR, Finance or the Board and Fono members who are willingly in denial and knowingly subverting the health care and welfare of our people, can save your own life or of a loved one when you have need for medical intervention. All your ill gotten and received gains, will crumble and come to naught.
OXYGEN emergency during the 2019 measles out break in Upolu. The National hospital ran out of oxygen and American Samoa responded to their emergency. We opened our border blockade to admit in the patrol boat Nafanua II which was dispatched on this mercy mission three times.
Mr. Peter Crispin, Co. President of the only oxygen supplier co. in American Samoa was able to fill the order for 98 cylinder tanks, mindful of reserves for our own people. From what I understand the oxygen company try to keep 1000 cylinders in reserve.
Has anyone in the TASKFORCE reached out to Mr. Peter Crispin on what is their current capacity. Is this small company capable of sustaining 30 – 50 ventilators at one go. Is he prepared for a shutdown, how are his machines, equipment, vehicles for quick and efficient delivery. Do we need more cylinders? This is where we need to pour in covid funding to help upgrade, maintain and extend their capacity. Or else face a local bush remedy for respiratory issues. ‘Open your mouth, breath and face the east to catch the morning sunrise mist’.
Unless the funding is being funneled out or misdirected, just give the OT to the nurses. There is a medical catastrophe looming over the horizon. We need valued, motivated and crisis ready nurses. We need oxygen. Tafuna EMS bldg. was commissioned way before the Tafuna DYWA groundbreaking. It is still incomplete and neglected by LBJ. When the heat hits the fans, our people will suffer without nurses and efficient EMS prehospital care relay missions.
Thank you
Ipu Avegalio Lefiti. Victim Advocate.
