Prescription For Trouble

o The latest U.S. Department of Health and Human Services survey of access to care in all U.S. jurisdictions gave most island territories, with the except of Guam, poor marks. The Federated States of Micronesia was the worst, closely followed by American Samoa, the Northern Marianas and then Guam.

The results prompted Marianas Eye Institute Director Dr. David Khorram to write that "stimulating the development of private medical practices can be more actively pursued in the CNMI. We need to actively attract doctors into private practice."

o In American Samoa, Governor Togiola Tulafono has submitted to the territorial Legislature a $10 million appropriation, in the form of a loan, to help pay outstanding debts for the government owned Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) Medical Center.

Tulafono says the measure "will provide comprehensive financial assistance for the only health care facility" in the U.S. territory. The hospital's board of directors testified before a Senate Budget Committee in May that the hospital has a long standing deficit of $13 million and expects a financial shortfall at the end of the current fiscal year, which closed on Sept. 30.

"With such a grave accumulated debt situation, it would be near impossible for the hospital to effectively provide basic health care for the residents of our territory," said Tulafono in a letter to Legislature.

o In Marshall Islands and Fiji, the World Health Organization says suicide rates are on the rise, and "has become one of the leading causes of death." Alarmed by the news, WHO Western Pacific director Shigeru Omi urged nations to implement national suicide prevention programs.

o Industrial action by medical staff is looming in several South Pacific nations. Members of the Samoa Medical Association were on strike September over pay and conditions, and because pay raises will be introduced over three years.

A commission of inquiry to look into the claims will be established, although the government says doctors are already the highest paid civil servants at entry level and that they make significant income from overtime and on-call allowances.

In Cook Islands, Minister of Health Peri Vaevae Pare averted a planned nation-wide strike by nurses, which would have been a first for the Cook Islands. The nurses demanded better pay, more nurses and overtime pay. President of the Cook Island Nurses Association Liz Iro says they will see how committed government will be to its promises.

-Reporting by Fili Sagapolutele and Ulamila Kurai-Marrie