Lack of funds for Cancer Center will be addressed

by Jolene Toves

Guam - It was last week we brought you the plea for help from Cancer Center of Guam oncologist Dr. Sam Friedman, who reports the island's leading supplier of chemotherapy drugs has closed up shop leaving local patients with dwindling supply.

Healthcare committee chair Senator Dennis Rodriguez, Jr. tells KUAM he hopes to gather stakeholders in coming weeks to address the issue. He said, "This has been a problem even in the past when the hospital was supplying it but it changed because of fiscal concerns and issues. This is something that we need to still obtain information and see what needs to be done once and for all resolve these continuing problems that we see popping up."

Meanwhile, Guam Memorial Hospital administrator Joseph Verga says regulations make it impossible for GMH to help the Cancer Center of Guam supplement their shortage, adding that there's a national shortage of many different medications nationwide making it difficult even for GMH to access the drugs.