9 Feb 2012

LBJ hospital employees plan march in American Samoa

9:58 am on 9 February 2012

Several employees of the LBJ hospital in American Samoa are planning a peaceful demonstration to the governor's office tomorrow over the problems facing the territory's only medical facility.

The plan follows the issuance of layoff letters to more than 200 employees yesterday.

Staff have been told that they will be put on indefinite unpaid leave from February the 19th.

The letters say the move is due to a lack of funds.

The funding problems have prompted the hospital to increase fees, with the government now vowing to take control of the hospital.