Senator Tuana’itau Malaki Togiola who requested a hearing into the Dialysis Clinic at the LBJ Hospital raised several concerns with the dialysis services. As a dialysis patient, he posed nearly all of the questions to LBJ CEO Scott Anesi, Chief Medical Officer Dr Aitofele James Sunia and Acting Chief Financial Officer Victor Tuiasosopo at a hearing of the Senate Health Committee Thursday.
Tuana’itau said there have been breakdowns with the water filtration system used for hemodialysis and when this happens patients have to wait 2 to3 hours while the problem is fixed. In order to accommodate patients lined up for that day’s schedule, their dialysis time is reduced. Other problems were inadequate staff, not enough dialysis chairs and machines and lack of parking space for dialysis patients.
Tuana’itau said in the past there were 4 or 5 staff members tending to patients undergoing dialysis but now there are usually only 2 in the clinic. He complained that dialysis patients can’t find parking close to the clinic. The senator also reported that a dialysis’ chair broke while a patient was undergoing treatment. He felt that the LBJ leadership was not paying adequate attention to the Hemodialysis Clinic and equipping it with the necessary resources.
LBJ CEO Anesi explained that the water filtration system is being upgraded and two new reverse osmosis machines have been installed and waiting certification. These will be brought on line and will address the water supply for the filtration system.
Anesi said the clinic is serving 274 patients at this time, up from 225 at the beginning of the year. He said the number of people needing dialysis is increasing. Each week 2 or 3 patients seen at ER need dialysis. With this increase the Dialysis Clinic is operating 5 shifts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 4 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Currently the clinic has 38 stations and 32 are in use. Anesi said they are ordering 5 new stations. Because of the rising number of dialysis patients one more shift will be added on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. At the same time they are not accepting any dialysis patients from off island.
The CEO told senators there’s not enough space to expand the clinic. They are looking at space near OBGyn to put dialysis stations.
Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean urged the LBJ officials to improve the dialysis service to take care of patients needing treatment. He inquired about outreach on preventive health care and the number of doctors in the ER. Chief Medical Officer, Dr Sunia said 22 doctors are needed in the ER but as of now there are only 10 as several doctors have left. They are asking doctors from other clinics to work in the ER. Meanwhile they are hiring 7 new doctors. But there’s a delay in their credentialing, and LBJ Has appealed to the Health Regulatory Board to speed up the process.
Tuaolo told the LBJ officials they needed to do better. The same problems have existed for so many years. “We see it in the Dental Clinic, even the pharmacy, people squeezing in a small space and waiting for treatment”. He said when the new ER is completed it will be one of the best in the region but he asked, what’s the use of having a new ER when we don’t have enough doctors?”
The Senate President asked the CEO why the hospital has moved some of its offices into the Alofa Office Building. Anesi responded that the Billing and Coding, Human Resources, Grants and Administration Offices are now located in the Alofa Building until the new Training Center in Fagaalu is completed. He said they plan to open an Urgent Care Clinic and Medical Clinic on the first floor of the Alofa Building next month while the clinics at Fagaalu undergo renovation
LBJ is paying $60,000 a month to rent all of the 1st floor and half of the 3rd floor of the Alofa Office Building.
Senator Muagututi’a Tauoa advised the LBJ officials to expand the clinic, add more stations and do more to improve dialysis services as more and more of our people are diagnosed with diabetes.
