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Tinian’s hemodialysis project up for sole sourcing
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Posted on Aug 15 2004
The Tinian legislative delegation has agreed to sole source a $1.7-million hemodialysis project on Tinian.
Delegation chair and Senate President Joaquin Adriano said Friday that the project would be handled by Saipan Health Clinic, also known as Health Professional Corp.
“We met with SHC people today and they agreed to the concept,” Adriano told reporters Friday.
He said the proposed hemodialysis center will be immediately built upon approval by authorities.
He expressed confidence that the sole sourcing of contract would be approved given the urgent need for the facility.
“For the last 10 years, [patients] have been dying out here on Saipan, not having the chance to make it back to Tinian. We need our own facility there to attend to our patients,” he said.
He said the government spends huge money to transport Tinian dialysis patients to Saipan for their regular treatment.
“We’re talking here of room, transportation expenses while they are here on Saipan,” he said.
Adriano said awarding the project to a preferred contractor would hasten the completion of the project.
He said that based on initial discussions, SHC would complete the facility no less than eight months and no more than 11 months.
He said the proposed facility includes three stations for treatment of dialysis patients.
The project would require the approval of the Office of the Insular Affairs since part of the money comes from 702 funds.
Adriano said the delegation would push for a build-operate-transfer scheme.
More than a year ago, SHC’s Dr. Vicente Aldan said that setting up of hemodialysis centers on Tinian and Rota has been his long-overdue goal.
He had said that he was waiting for a loan agreement with the Marianas Public Lands Trust for the two projects amounting to $3.4 million.
SHC had said that the proposed hemodialysis centers on Rota and Tinian would also contain a primary outpatient care.
At present, Tinian seems to be getting ahead of Rota in terms of funds availability.
Earlier this year, the Department of Public Health called on the Rota delegation to help find an additional $1 million to finance the construction of Rota’s hemodialysis center. Rota’s project reportedly received only about $1 million.
