Guam – Guam Memorial Hospital will have an added $1 million dollars in hand today to purchase badly needs medical supplies and medicines.
These are the funds that Assistant Secretary Tony Babuata announced would be released Sunday December 5th, after the Governor signed a fiscal emergency declaration on December 1st. The money is coming out of the roughly $3 million dollars GMH gets every year from Compact Impact funding.
GMH Spokesman Connor Murphy says the Compact Impact money has been received by the Guam Department of Administration and DOA will be transmitting the money to GMH’s accounts today.
Murphy told PNC News yesterday that the money will be spent immediately on the purchase of badly needed medical supplies and medicines.
Compact Impact funds are administered by DOI. The money were originally slated to be used for GMH capital improvements, but they had to be “re-programmed.” DOI required an emergency declaration first before agreeing to allow the money to be spent on medicines and supplies.
GMH is still waiting on final approval of up to $25 million dollars in loan authorizations. Yesterday, GEDA received only 1 expression of interest from a potential lender.
GMH owes $25 million to various vendors and Murphy says the hospital would like the loan money in hand by next Tuesday so those vendors can get paid.
