28 Mar 2012

American Samoa's Governor says new system maybe needed at LBJ hospital

9:28 am on 28 March 2012

American Samoa's governor, Togiola Tulafono, says the cost of running the LBJ Medical Centre is out of balance and the present system may not be the most effective way to deal with its financial crisis.

The governor has submitted legislation that would dissolve the Medical Centre Authority, eliminate its board of directors as well as the chief executive officer and bring the hospital under the Department of Health.

The governor says this is needed to keep the administrative costs of the hospital in line with the realities of the territory and to provide the broadest access to resources for dealing with the financial crisis.