Senators continue due diligence on proposed new GMH site

The debate over the location of the new Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH) took center stage once again as senators conducted another public hearing on the Governor's bill to purchase crown land in Barrigada for a proposed medical complex.

The hearing also delved into the consideration of an alternate site at Ypao Point. Nestor Licanto provides the latest updates on this critical issue.

The future site of a new Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH) that will serve the next generation of Guamanians and beyond, remains unclear.

What is clear is that two preferred sites have emerged.

Adelup favors a central location in Barrigada also known as eda agaga while prominent medical community members prefer Tamuning. Where the original GMH stands at Ypao point.

The latest hearing began with Oversight Chair Therese Terlaje laying out what she hopes to accomplish. 

“We want to make sure that what's being told to the public, what's being told to the senators, and that's information that we're going to use to make our decision and that we can clarify what is rumor and what is fact.  and our goal, my goal, our committee work is to put this solidly in front of the senators and to be pretty much ending up with the pros and cons of each site,” Terlaje stated during the hearing. 

The hearing dove deeper into the weeds with Ancestral Lands Director John Burch and Land Management Director Joe Borja fielding questions about maps, distance, and infrastructure.

Borja says DLM did do its own internal site ratings.

The now dismissed Eagles Field choice came out on top, followed by the two under consideration.

Borja shares, “We found, we at GovGuam, that the Adacao eda agaga site came out number two and of course came out at number three is the Ypao point.”

As the Committee continues its due diligence, and each side digs in, Senator Joanne Brown points out that the choice of where to build the hospital of the future ultimately rests in the hands of the few.

Brown said, “For me I appreciate the background and information you're very patiently providing to us, but I'm sure at the end of the day it's gonna be the decisions we make as to whether or not we have eight votes to decide where that new hospital will be located.”

The second part of the hearing is being held later this afternoon.