On GMH and the rift within it
 

by Tony Blaz - 
KUAM's Political Insider
January 7, 2005

The Healthcare is increasingly becoming the biggest challenge our island leaders have faced in years. The spiraling cost of healthcare and, of course, the state of our island's hospital has been a nightmare that doesn't seem to be going away. This nightmare became even more pronounced with the heavy-handed ways and actions of the GMH medical director and GMH administration in their dealings with the surgeons at our hospital. It is bad enough our island doesn't have enough doctors and yet our hospital officials harass and retaliate against our physicians. 

Recently, the surgeons of our island's only hospital placed certain demands upon the GMH administration in particular, demanded long awaited and, I might say, long promised improvements to the surgery room, supplies, desperately needed medicines and additional medical personnel. These doctors have expressed on numerous occasions very serious and critical concerns about the state of our hospital's surgery room and facilities. No, these surgeons were not demanding increased pay, or fewer hours or additional benefits, they weren't demanding more money for travel or other perks government officials customarily demand whenever they attain high office. These surgeons were simply demanding critically needed supplies, medicines, and improvements to our surgery facilities. 

Their biggest concern, my dear people of Guam, their patients, yes that's right - all of you who utilize GMH. One of the biggest challenges for surgeons is infection control. Patients exposed to certain infection could result in death especially after a major operation. I say it's high time we listen to our doctors, our surgeons. Instead of admonishing them because they are protecting the interests of their patients and demanding quality care for all of our people, the GMH administration should have embraced them and done whatever necessary to assist them. 

I say enough of the high paid travel junkets and atrociously high salaries for administrators. Let's put our money where there is a desperately urgent need so the nightmare we have in GMH may end and our people's dream for a hospital that can provide quality care can come true!    

Tony Blaz hosts "Positively Local", a radio talkshow on Isla61-AM everyday from 6-10am