Plans to hire a group of nurses for the LBJ Hospital from the Philippines have not been realized.
According to testimony by the LBJ Hospital CEO Faumuina John Faumuina before the House Health Committee last week, it was difficult for the nurses to travel here due to the pandemic, plus some had changed their minds and didn’t want to work in American Samoa.
Faumuina informed the committee that they were now trying to work out another arrangement to recruit more nurses. He didn’t say whether the new arrangement was still with nurses from the Philippines or another source.
The CEO said the shortage of local nurses is very serious.
Fuamuina was responding to a question from Rep Avagafono Vaimaga Maiava who recalled that during a committee hearing last September Faumuina had discussed plans to hire 20 nurses from the Philippines.
Rep Avagafono advised the CEO to work together with the hospital board of directors to get help to address the nursing shortage.
He said nurses, doctors and other frontliners are getting overwhelmed because there’s a shortage of medical personnel. And with the Covid pandemic the situation will get even worse.
The CEO was urged to help support the nursing program at the American Samoa Community College instead of depending on nurses from the Philippines and other countries.
Replying to questions about the autoclave, which has been down for more than a year, Faumuina said the autoclave has been repaired and is now operating. The autoclave is used to sterilize medical instruments.
