By: Bernadette Carreon
President Surangel Whipps has announced that his administration is dedicated to enhancing the health of the people of Palau.
In his State of the Republic Address on Thursday, Whipps addressed the challenges posed by the aging Belau National Hospital and the shortage of medical services.
He emphasized that several improvements are underway, including working with Senator Stevenson Kuartei to reform the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
“In the last four years, we’ve made some of the largest investments in our nation’s only hospital and in our Community Health Centers in decades,” he noted.
While Whipps did not provide a timeline for the relocation of the new hospital, he repeated previous statements regarding the feasibility study initiated to replace the more than 30-year-old Belau National Hospital.
He expressed gratitude to the State Governments of Airai, Koror, and Ngatpang for offering land as potential sites for the new hospital.
Last year, the Republic of Palau and the U.S. Embassy signed an agreement for a $2.37 million grant from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to conduct a feasibility study for a new Belau National Hospital.
The study is evaluating potential sites for the facility,
The only hospital in Palau was built in 1993 with funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
In his State of the Republic Address, Whipps also highlighted several improvements at the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MHHS), including the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Guam Cancer Care.
The partnership with Guam, he said aims to provide more affordable and accessible treatment for cancer patients in Palau.
He highlighted in his address that that in the coming weeks, the government will meet with Guam Cancer Care and a potential partner in the Philippines who will provide visiting doctors.
Additionally, Whipps announced the arrival of new doctors to the hospital team: Dr. Bernadette Roldau Okabe, an intern; Dr. Samantha Oklierii, a pediatric specialty resident; and Dr. Jason Arurang, a radiology resident.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Palau has successfully achieved significant improvements in public health outcomes over recent decades.
The leading causes of death in Palau include non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.