In another cost-cutting measure, the Department of Public Health temporarily shut down the Diabetes Control and Prevention Program's office on Navy Hill and moved its operations back to the Commonwealth Health Center.
DPH Deputy Secretary Lynn Tenorio confirmed Saturday that DPH closed its diabetes resource center nearly a month ago and that the move was made to alleviate the department's financial problems.
“We're currently sharing resources [with the DPH],” said Tenorio.
The Navy Hill facility served as a resource center to raise the level of awareness on diabetes prevention and care and reduce the burden of diabetes complications in the CNMI.
Asked if the temporary closure of the facility was related to DPH reportedly being the second most expensive government agency to operate, Tenorio was non-committal, but said that, just like anywhere else in the world, health care does not come cheap.
“All I can say to that is that health care is really expensive, that's why it's important for us to put money in prevention programs. .We cannot sacrifice the health of the people [but] we also have to reduce cost,” she said.
In related news, the Health Department also shut down a clinic in San Roque last month, again to save on costs for the cash-strapped department.
Tenorio said the department did an assessment that resulted in the decision to close down the San Roque Clinic. She added that, based on the survey, the patients that visited San Roque mostly came from Kagman and Garapan.
Consequently, the patients from these areas could come to the hospital in Garapan instead. Tenorio said the San Antonio Clinic, though, is still open for service to the community members from that area.
The DPH and the CNMI Diabetes Prevention and Control Program inaugurated the Navy Hill facility in September 2005.
Tenorio earlier said the office would supposedly be the central location for diabetes prevention education and information on how to manage the illness.
She said the office was supposed to assist in identifying and connecting people with diabetes with other public agencies, community organizations, and health providers to further enhance diabetes care and management.
The construction of the center was in step with the Division of Public Health’s mission to develop a healthy community by promoting health and disease prevention, to continuously improve the health knowledge of the community members, and to foster teamwork among providers to give quality service to the community.
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