Medical referral patients who need treatment outside the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas may no longer be able to, after travel agencies stopped issuing airline tickets.
The move is due to the government's nonpayment of arrears owed, now amounting to 180,000 US dollars.
Department of Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez confirms travel agencies have suspended the processing of travel documents for off-island medical referrals.
He says so far, between five and 10 medical referral cases have been affected, all of which are for follow-ups.
