31 Oct 2013

American Samoa hospital in dispute with treasurer

4:23 pm on 31 October 2013

The LBJ Hospital in American Samoa is still waiting for 1.5 million US dollars it believes the government owes it in subsidy funding for the current fiscal year.

And the hospital chief executive, Joseph Davis Fleming, says the non-payment is costing the territory an additional 2.5 million dollars in matching federal funds.

But the treasurer Falema'o Dr. Phil Pili disputes Mr Fleming's figures and he claims the hospital owes a government fund insurance property premiums.

Mr Fleming says the treasurer's refusal to release the money means the hospital is now running dangerously low on operating funds, with just enough money for three to four weeks.

He says the treasurer is wrong in his numbers and has not responded to repeated requests since July to reconcile them.