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American Samoa politician says girl died for lacking US$20

An American Samoan candidate for governor, Save Liuato Tuitele, has revealed that a female student with heart problems died last year because she couldn’t pay the 20 US dollars to see a doctor at the LBJ Hospital.

At a seminar on health care, Save said the Tafuna high school student was brought to the hospital complaining about chest pains.

The girl told the receptionist her name and the receptionist asked her if she had $20.

She told the receptionist that she had just come from school and she had no money.

According to Save the receptionist instructed the student to call her parents to bring $20.

“The hospital forgot about her. She sat there until everybody was gone, and they finally checked on her. But by the time they got to her she was already dead. She didn’t have to die that way or that day.”

Save Liuato Tuitele says they will look at implementing recommendations of a government study which look at insurance health coverage for American Samoa.