Lone doctor at Tinian clinic unpaid for four months

Dr. Priyantha Wijayagunaratne has been working pro bono at the Tinian Health Center the past four months after failing to receive his salary since transferring there at the start of the year.

Saipan Tribune learned of the doctor’s dilemma yesterday based on communications sent by Tinian administrative officer Connie Manglona to the Office of Budget and Management, a copy of which was obtained by the Tribune.

A call to Dr. Wijayagunaratne yesterday confirmed the report.

He refused, however, to pin the blame on anyone, saying that situations like this “happen sometimes” in any office or work.

“It is my understanding that they are working on it [now],” he said.

Documents obtained by the Saipan Tribune claim that the Tinian Health Center has been sending documentations and justifications on Dr. Wijayagunaratne’s salary to the OMB but these were not acted upon.

Because of the delayed salary, the Tinian hospital management believes that this leaves their only doctor on Tinian “in the totally untenable situation” of being forced to work without compensation, which according to one is “unethical and most likely not entirely legal.”

It was learned that the Tinian clinic’s management had inquired with OMB assistant Esther Fleming why the authorization for the doctor’s salary was being held up.

The absence of acknowledgements to the sent documents as well as phone calls that were not returned reportedly led Tinian clinic officials to assume that personnel action authorization was already being taken cared of by OMB.

Saipan Tribune failed to get Fleming’s take on the issue as calls to her phone were not returned as of press time. Calls made to Tinian Health Center resident director Ernie Hofschneider were not returned as of press time. Connie Manglona was reportedly off-island.

Tinian Legislative Delegation chair Sen. Joseph Mendiola expressed surprise yesterday after finding out about the physician’s delayed salary.

Mendiola vowed to immediately contact and communicate with OMB and the Governor’s Office to straighten out the matter.

“They should not be doing that…because he’s the only doctor we have to treat our people. The delegation is not aware of it,” said Mendiola, adding that as far as the Tinian Legislative Delegation is concerned, money for the doctor’s position has been allocated.

The chairman explained that the salary will come from the government’s general fund through the Tinian municipality’s personnel account.

“The money [to pay for his salary] should be there…unless there’s some reprogramming that we don’t know [of],” he said.

Mendiola vowed to get to the bottom of the issue so that the doctor will get his compensation on time.

“We cannot put the welfare of our people in jeopardy. This is something that we need to immediately address because it involves the direct delivery of services to our people,” the senator said.

Mendiola described the situation as unacceptable.