Legislation to delay implementation of the new MISSA law was introduced on the first day of the Nitijela session last week. Bill 54 was introduced by Health Minister Kalani Kaneko and supported by Finance Minister Brenson Wase, and Senators David Paul (Kwajalein), Dennis Momotaro (Mejit), and Bruce Bilimon (Maloelap). The bill is brief and to […]
In the two decades since a group of Marshall Islanders trained as doctors at the Pohnpei-based Medical Officers Training Program in the 1990s, few RMI citizens have gained degrees in medical fields. But this picture will change dramatically thanks to the intake by Taiwan of a sizable number of Marshallese students to study medicine. Eight […]
HILARY HOSIA Studies of elementary age children in Majuro show that public school students have a higher rate of intestinal parasites compared to private schools. Data presented to Health Minister Kalani Kaneko and his top officials Thursday showed 11.2 percent of private school children in Majuro have intestinal parasites. The figure is the result of […]
The Ministry of Health faced tough questioning and criticism during Tuesday’s Appropriations Committee hearing at Nitijela. Chairman Senator David Paul, Finance Minister Brenson Wase, Resources and Development Minister Alfred Alfred, Jr., Senator Mike Kabua and other members of the panel asked numerous questions about lack of services being offered at Majuro and Ebeye hospitals and […]
GIFF JOHNSON A plan for a mass screening of people on Ebeye for tuberculosis (TB) is anticipated for later this year as a first step in a new effort to reduce the level of TB in the Marshall Islands. With the TB problem continuing at high rates for many years, health officials are looking at […]
The second Pacific Islands Program Collaboration and Service Integration (PCSI) Conference opened on Monday at the International Conference Center. The conference, hosted by the Ministry of Health, continues through Friday. Supported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), PCSI is “a mechanism for organizing and blending interrelated health issues, activities, and prevention strategies to facilitate […]
GIFF JOHNSON Chemical contamination of fish at Kwajalein Atoll “is a public health concern of epic proportion that we cannot take lightly,” Kwajalein Senator David Paul said in advance of this week’s annual RMI-US military consultation in Majuro. Paul and other RMI officials called for action on the contamination issue at the Joint Committee Meeting […]
HILARY HOSIA Here is more proof basketball is king in the Marshall Islands: when the Arkansas dream team paid a courtesy visit to the President’s Office last week, they were greeted by Acting President Mattlan Zackhras and Ministers Brenson Wase, Alfred Alfred, Jr, Thomas Heine and Kalani Kaneko — former basketball players in their younger […]
HILARY HOSIA The Ministry of Health moved into emergency action mode after confirmation last Thursday that Majuro has its first case of the Zika virus. After verifying Zika confirmation with the Hawaii laboratory Thursday, in less than two hours a team was set up and dispatched to inspect the home and surrounding area where the […]
The new members of the President Hilda Heine’s Cabinet took the oath of office Monday during a swearing-in ceremony administered by District Court Presiding Judge Milton Zackios at the International Conference Center. The ceremony took place following President Heine’s submission of nominations to Speaker Kenneth Kedi for appointment as Ministers of the Cabinet, pursuant to […]
