By Alfred Acenas
EBC Hawaii Bureau
HONOLULU, Hawaii (Eagle News) – Last weekend, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Governor Ralph D.L.G. Torres met with US Army Brigadier General Tracy L. Smith, Commander of the 18th Medical Command (MC) (Deployment Support), to discuss how the Department of Defense (DoD) can best support the CNMI in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
The 18th MC arrived in Saipan on Saturday, April 21, with a team of medical planners to synchronize the needs of the Commonwealth with key medical resources.
“Our objective for our visit is to address the unmet needs that the Governor identified and to synchronize the pieces together in order to maximize the resources we have by bringing the right capability at the right time,” said Brigadier General Smith.
She also thanked the Governor for his aggressive efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in his country.
“As medical professionals, we truly appreciate the Governor’s aggressiveness in his mitigation measures to protect the Marianas. Torres has taken a phenomenal approach, and we thank him for his aggressiveness. The governor has made it easier for medical professionals and for us who are here to support the Marianas,” said the general.
Meanwhile, Torres acknowledged that the COVID-19 crisis is different from other calamities that he has experienced.
“I have been through other disasters, but our current crisis is a health concern. I have good people working with me,” Torres said. He recognized partners from the US and local governments, as well as the healthcare industry, namely Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna; COVID-19 Task Force Chairman Warren Villagomez; Authorized Representative to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Patrick Guerrero; Special Assistant for Homeland Security and Emergency Management Gerald Deleon Guerrero; and Dr. John Tudela.
The governor added that he has been following the situations unfolding in the U.S. mainland and across the globe.
“Recognizing the challenges that they are facing motivates me even more to give that extra push to do everything we can to protect our community. I would rather fail trying, instead of not trying at all. With the support of our federal partners, I am determined to keep my community as protected as possible and to win this fight for all of us here in the Marianas,” said Torres.
After their meeting, Torres accompanied Brigadier General Smith and her delegation to the Kanoa Resort for an onsite assessment to determine the requirement of the Alternate Care Site and other needs in preparation for the deployment of DoD medical resources to the CNMI.
Six critical care nurses are scheduled to be deployed to the West Pacific nation in the coming weeks with a second batch of critical care capabilities forthcoming to equip the Alternate Care Site with medical resources upon completion.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CNMI currently has 14 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Eleven patients have since recovered; two people have succumbed to the disease.
The US Army’s 18th Medical Command (Deployment Support) is an expeditionary Medical Theater Enabling Command based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The unit executes mission command through the planning and synchronization of medical functions and ensuring readiness of Army medical units within the Indo-Asia Pacific Region. Its current commander, Brigadier General Smith, is also the first Chamorro female from Guam to make the rank of general officer in the US Armed Forces.
(Eagle News Service)