1 Sep 2011

Tinian clinic running on empty

5:30 pm on 1 September 2011

The Tinian Health Center in the Northern Mariana Islands has run out of important supplies including toilet paper for more than three months due to budget constraints.

The clinic has also been unable to send out specimens to and from the island and has had no doctors and mid-level health providers over the past few weeks.

The Tinian Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz has expressed his frustration and worry over the health center's condition.

Mr Dela Cruz says the Health Center has already asked the Department of Finance to pay about 200 thousand US dollars in obligations to different vendors.

He says of that amount, about 70 thousand is owed to two mid-level providers who have not been paid for several months.

The clinic also owes 40 thousand dollars to a physician assistant who was made redundant in April.