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Sep 28, 2023

Lujan calls for more funds to address mold, fix AC at GMH

Jesse Lujan Sen. Jesse Lujan is calling for more resources to be allocated to Guam Memorial Hospital after he received an internal memo detailing issues with the hospital's air-conditioning system. In

Jesse Lujan

Sen. Jesse Lujan is calling for more resources to be allocated to Guam Memorial Hospital after he received an internal memo detailing issues with the hospital's air-conditioning system.

In a press release, the senator said he had visited the hospital Friday after hearing concerns over mold infestation. Shortly after the visit, his office received an internal memorandum that centered around the hospital's chiller system.

"The memo said that due to the compromised GMH main chiller system, the hospital administration was working closely with (Guam) Homeland Security, the Office of Civil Defense and the Port Authority of Guam to be able to bring a chiller container with AC to store critical pharmaceuticals," Lujan said. "They have since purchased 100 fans to be installed in key areas of the hospital, and they will bring in more as needed. They also picked up 50 split units to be installed in the clinical areas, and they anticipate more will be brought in."

According to the internal memo, procurement has been completed for 10 portable air conditioners to be utilized in the pharmacy, laboratory, and labor and delivery units.

The memo added that as of Aug. 25, hospital officials had met with a contracted electrical engineer who would work with the facilities and maintenance team to assess the hospital's electrical power source to effectively install the split AC units and consider other cooling options as well.

During his visit to the hospital, Lujan witnessed firsthand the growing presence of mold and the facility's deteriorating conditions. This prompted him to call for more resources to be funneled toward GMH.

"I wish I could identify a funding source at this point, because GMH needs between $8 million to $10 million just to mitigate the situation in regards to the mold and the chillers, which were identified by the Army Corps of Engineers back in 2019," Lujan said in his release.

The funds would be on top of the $30 million hospital Administrator Lillian Perez-Posadas has told senators was needed to pay their vendors.

"All of this really highlights what the legislative body needs to address in our budget session," Lujan stated. "I'm talking about priorities within this government and where we should put our moneys. GMH should be at the top of the list of priorities."

It was noted in the release that Lujan believes "many in the current administration" do not see the urgency of the situation at the hospital, stating that "Lujan's concerns come from the slow response to the previous warnings given to the hospital."

"An inspection report done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in April of 2020, cautioned that the long-standing damage to the hospital's protective envelope, including the roof and windows, has allowed dangerous mold to spread throughout the facility," the release stated.

Jesse Lujan

Poll results are published every Monday in The Guam Daily Post.

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