The new health oversight chair gave the Guam Memorial Hospital during her tour of the Tamuning facility this afternoon a failing grade.

The hospital was able to get the funding needed to continue making repairs.

Still, staff there admit GMH is old and “it's hard to maintain.”

Health Oversight Chair Senator Sabrina Salas Matanane is upset with the state of the Guam Memorial Hospital.

“And I am getting emotional about it because it's just sad. It's terrible,” Matanane said.

She along with her republican colleagues Senators Shelly Calvo, Vince Borja, and Vice Speaker Tony Ada saw from top to bottom the lingering problems inside the island's only public hospital Thursday afternoon.

From leaky roofs to mold, hospital staff admit repairs would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

“My understanding is the amount was even higher just to do the repairs here. And so hence the reason at that time the decision of all the powers that be is to try and build a new hospital,” said GMH staff.

The administration is moving ahead with doing just that with land in Mangilao.

Senators also reviewed some of the needs with Hospital Administrator Lillian Perez-Posadas.

“Excited! I'm just really happy and it looks promising. The support that we've heard so far looks promising,” said Perez-Posadas.

Its support lawmakers said are long overdue with staff admitting GMH may not survive another major typhoon.

“A lot of the time we've been hearing about this new hospital and building a new hospital when we have a hospital right now that is falling apart,” said Matanane.

KUAM asked, “Do you support a hospital here in Tamuning or Mangilao or where?”

“Right now there is a lawsuit filed so we are waiting to see what the outcome of that will be,” said Matanane.

“Wherever the hospital is going to be, let's just build one,” said Ada.

Ultimately, the visiting senators agree Guam needs a new hospital.