The design phase for the planned new hospital to be built at Lions Park is moving ahead with the arrival of two representatives of the Hawaii company that’s contracted for the job, Architects Hawaii Ltd.
According to Director of Health, Motusa Tuileama Nua, Project Director Linda Liliekis and a medical consultant arrived Monday and will be holding meetings in connection with the hospital project until Thursday.
Yesterday, they had meetings with the Department of Health and LBJ Hospital and other discussions are scheduled with Department of Commerce, Public Works and Governor’s Office.
KHJ News understands that the AHL representatives are hoping to make up for lost time given that there was a delay while they awaited a decision by American Samoa on whether to go ahead with the new hospital.
A Medical Advisory Subcommittee recommended that the planned new hospital be scrapped and the available ARPA funding be used to upgrade the LBJ Hospital.
As KHJ News has reported Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga has decided to go ahead with the new hospital at Tafuna.
Director Motusa said the size of the new hospital may be scaled down depending on what can be built with the $200 million made available for the new facility, and the type of medical services that it will provide.
During meetings here in March, the AHL team said construction should start in a year and a half. All ARPA funded projects must be completed and in use by December 2026.
Doctors of LBJ Hospital who serve on the Medical Advisory Subcommittee for the hospital project have expressed disappointment that their recommendations to spend the available funding to improve the LBJ hospital have been ignored. Some have even asked to be removed from the subcommittee to free up their time from meetings and discussions, while they focus on taking care of patients.
