23 Jan 2015

CNMI utility prevented from disconnecting hospital

8:30 am on 23 January 2015

A court order has been made to prevent the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation from disconnecting services to the CNMI Hospital.

The Utilities Corporation has threatened to disconnect unspecified utilitiy services to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, which it is suing for more than $9 million USD.

The Superior Court issued the preliminary injunction until the legal dispute between the Utilities Corporation and the Healthcare Corporation is resolved.

It was last reported that the hospital owes the utility company about $11 million in past due accounts.

It was reported that the CHCC offered to pay $325,000 for its monthly utility consumption, but the utility company rejected this, as the hospital's average consumption is about $540,000 a month.