GMH management refutes news of raises

by Mindy Aguon

Guam - The new hospital management team wants to clear the record: they haven't gotten any raises since they took over at GMH.  Hospital chief financial officer Siva Karuppan confirms with KUAM News that his contract pays him $166,000 a year with a week off every month because he has family in Malaysia and a son who is growing up there.

"I can categorically say that none of us have ever received raises," he told KUAM News. "My salary was negotiated prior to me arriving on Guam…Dr. [Larry] Lizama's salary number is via contract and Mr. Rey Vega's salary number is based on the compensation allocated for an administrator for GMH."

Karuppan says the previous CFO was paid $90,000 a year and with benefits the total salary was near $140,000. He adds that he is the only hospital employee who has voluntarily given up retirement and sick leave benefits. GMH Acting Administrator Rey Vega is being paid the same salary as his predecessor while medical director Dr. Larry Lizama is paid $100 an hour. 

While it was previously a part-time job, the prior GMH administration and board made the medical director position a full-time one before Lizama came on board.