DoH TO OPEN PRIMARY CARE CLINIC IN FAGAALU

It’ll be two weeks before the primary care clinic at the Tafuna Health Center will be taking anymore appointments, as they are currently in the midst of transitioning to their new location in Fagaalu, where the Dept. of Health’s main offices are headquartered.

One of the buildings in the compound has been completely renovated in preparation for the new primary care clinic which is set to open the first week in October, with Dr. Sean Stracensky heading the operation. Samoa News understands that two other doctors will also be on board.

A DoH official said the operations will be similar to that of the primary care clinic at the LBJ Medical Center — right across the street — which was previously headed by Dr. Stracensky.

The primary care clinic at the Tafuna Health Center is unable to connect to the LBJ Hospital, therefore limiting requests for lab tests, prescription medications, and other necessary paperwork for care.

The new Fagaalu primary care clinic will serve as a model, and the goal is to make it successful, eventually branching out and opening up primary care clinics at all the local DoH health centers, including Leone and Amouli.

Samoa News understands that despite the opening of the new primary care clinic in Fagaalu, the existing one at the Tafuna Health Center will continue to remain functional, but considering the shortage of qualified physicians, it is unclear who will head the Tafuna Clinic in Dr.Stracensky’s absence.

DMWR & COMMUNITY BASED FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Representatives from the eleven villages under the Community Based Fisheries Management Program are participating in a four-day workshop conducted by officials from the Dept. of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR).

The workshops started Tuesday and are being held in the conference room of the Fagatogo Marketplace.

The purpose is for village representatives to provide data and share information about their monitoring results. Discussions will also be held to promote collaboration with  the village mayors and their role in conservation programs.

The workshop is an open forum where requests can be made on what village representatives feel should be available to them to assist in their efforts. Most of the requests involve the availability of a boat that can conduct random patrol inspections of the areas under the Community Based Fisheries Management Program (CBFMP). But DMWR officials are hesitant in promising such a service, as funding is limited and chances of purchasing a boat at this time for this specific reason are slim.

Samoa News understands that once the workshops wrap up, DMWR will get the ball rolling as far as getting certain individuals deputized to enforce regulations for conservation management efforts in each village under the CBFMP.

The goal of the Fisheries Management Program is to ensure that fishing is sustainable.

LUXURY YACHT ATTRACTS LOCAL ATTENTION

A luxury yacht sailing from Australia and heading to French Polynesia arrived in the territory this past Monday to replenish its fuel supply and stock up on necessities.

The yacht, carrying a crew of five, has attracted local interest, with residents taking photographs and stopping by to get a first hand glimpse of the model yacht, which is registered in the Marshall Islands and lists Bora Bora, Tahiti as its home port.

The vessel belongs to a wealthy American and is available for charter services or special occasions at a rate of $59,000 per week. Tours of the yacht are made by appointment only.

TAFUNA DENTAL CLINIC REOPENS

After being shut down by the inspectors of the Dept. of Health last week for poor sanitary conditions, the Tafuna Dental Clinic finally reopened Tuesday with anxious west siders lining up to receive much needed dental services.

The doors of the Tafuna Dental Clinic were closed last week due to sanitation violations and for not adhering to infection control procedures.

A follow-up inspection was conducted and after the Health Department issued the green light, the Tafuna Dental Clinic re-opened its doors.

In other DoH news, both the Physical Clinic and Well Baby Clinic in Fagaalu re-opened Monday after being closed since last Thursday for renovation work.

APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR ELECTION DAY WORKERS IS TOMORROW

Tomorrow, Sept. 19 is the application deadline for interested Election Day workers.

Local residents who want to work as election officials and poll watchers during the upcoming elections in November can pick up applications from the Election Office in Tafuna or the Dept. of Human Resources on the second floor of the A.P. Lutali Executive Office Building in Utulei.

Village mayors will be on standby—as they usually are during the election process— to ensure that everything runs smoothly at the different polling stations. 

As of 1p.m. yesterday, the Election Office had already received a total of 260 applications. It is unclear how many applications have been submitted to the Dept. of Human Resources, although a total of 350 slots are available.

Those who want to apply must be a registered voter with a valid voter ID card.

In the meantime, the Election Office started accepting local absentee votes on Sept. 10, with a closing date of Monday, November 3, 2014 at 4 p.m.

In a letter to local electors earlier this month, Chief Election Officer Tuaolo Vaivao Manaia Fruean said the Election Office will be open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. - 12 noon for local absentee voting. Tuaolo emphasized that travelers who will return to American Samoa BEFORE November 4, 2014 are NOT eligible to vote by local absentee ballot.