The Chairman of the Board of the LBJ Hospital, Dr. Malouamaua Tuiolosega, told the Senate Health Committee yesterday that the suspended Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joseph Shumway, experienced a mental breakdown.
He said this was the reason for the doctor’s statements to the media about the measles cases being fake.
According to Dr. Tuiolosega, Dr. Shumway worked very well in the first month or so but gradually he was overcome with the work load and it affected his mental capacity.
He said the CMO faced a mental breakdown and this led his statements in the media that the reported measles cases were fake.
According to the Board Chairman, the CMO’s statements have caused great embarrassment to the hospital and the LDS missionary volunteer program. Hence the board and management moved quickly to suspend the CMO. He said there are rules prohibiting employees from making such statements on their own, and he indicated that there are legal issues being worked out.
It was Senator Magalei Logovii who brought up the comments by Dr. Shumway during a hearing of the Senate Health Committee regarding a Senate resolution recommending to the Governor not to go ahead with his plans to build a new hospital but to allocate the available funding to improve and expand the existing hospital at Fagaalu, as recommended by a medical subcommittee and a report by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Magalei said the CMO’s statements about the measles cases being fake and a way to obtain federal funding don’t sound good and he was concerned with the impact of the comments.
Committee chairman Senator Tuiasina Dr. Salamo Laumoli preferred that the Committee deal with the topic of the resolution first before they discuss Dr. Shumway’s comments.
The Hospital Board chairman gave a presentation on their plans to improve facilities, medical services and staff development at LBJ.
At the suggestion of Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean, to call in the hospital officials in the future to go over their plans, the hearing came to a close.
Appearing with Dr. Tuiolosega were the LBJ CEO Dr. Akapusi Ledua, Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. James Sunia, Human Resources Director Rowena Reid and Chief Financial Officer Sefanaia Kaumaitotoya.
The Senate resolution, which was the reason for the hearing, was approved during yesterday’s session.
