Some health officials in the Marshall Islands say the government has failed to sign an approval, made almost a year ago, of a bid for Majuro Hospital to buy digital x-ray and radiology equipment.
The Marshall Islands government approved the bid in April last year to purchase a package of radiology equipment from Guam-based MedPham but the contract has not been signed and no equipment has been ordered.
Some government officials say the equipment is urgently needed, but a hospital spokesperson has downplayed the importance, saying staff are able to make do with existing x-ray equipment.
The Secretary of Health Justina Langidrik has reportedly not signed the purchase agreement because of issues in dispute, which has stalled the order for the equipment.
The Chief Secretary of government Casten Nemra said in March that there was a pressing need to order in and new equipment because hospital operations had been negatively affected by the lack of radiology apparatus.
According to the Majuro Hospital Administrator Rosabella Marty, the aim for x-ray equipment that is yet to be ordered is to catch up with United States standards.
