Articles Search

Other health centers may also stop services

By Moneth Deposa

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, July 2, 2012) – Marianas Medical Center (MMC) announced yesterday that it will temporarily stop service to patients who are using Medicaid due to the government's nonpayment of reimbursement.

Joy Sanchez, Marianas Medical Center office manager, confirmed with Saipan Tribune the company's decision. She said an announcement stopping their service to Medicaid holder has been posted since yesterday at the facility's entrance.

MMC advised the affected patients that suspension of their service takes effect today, July 2, and apologized for the temporary interruption of service.

In the same announcement, MMC said if Medicaid patients want to avail of service, they will be required a self-pay by the company.

According to Sanchez, services to Medicaid patients will resume once payments are made by the government.

MMC is the second medical provider that...

Commissioner claims rolls were ‘over 90 percent complete’

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, June 29, 2012) – Friday was the sixth day of polling in Papua New Guinea, and the people are waiting anxiously for Electoral Commissioner, Andrew Trawen, to tell them what he intends to do with the thousands of voters who have missed out because their names are not on the Electoral Roll.

Mr. Trawen had assured Parliament and the people, especially the estimated 4.3 million eligible voters in April that the electoral roll was more than 90 percent complete and it would be ready in time for the polls at the end of June.

However, this has not been the case and thousands of people have been denied their right to cast their votes, beginning with the first day of polling and it is likely that thousands more will miss out with delayed polling in almost all provinces because of various reasons.

Mr. Trawen is expected to announce his decision at a press...

Contamination from industrial contaminants, not nuclear waste

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, June 29, 2012) – A study has found soil and food contamination on the French Polynesian atoll of Hao from PCB and heavy metal pollutants.

Extracts from the study were published in the French newspaper Le Monde, and follow an announcement earlier in June of plans for an aquaculture project on Hao.

The atoll was the main French military base during France’s nuclear weapons testing program in the South Pacific.

The publisher of the Tahiti-Pacifique monthly, Alex Du Prel, says the study shows the contamination is industrial and not nuclear.

"So they used to throw all there oil changes and leaky transformers into septic tanks and these tanks leached into the lagoon. Apparently there are certain areas where the fish is not edible and there are coconut groves where the coconuts are not edible."

Alex Du Prel says the study did not...

Island nation moves closer to renewable energy goals

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, June 29, 2012) – Tonga's first Solar Farm, built at a cost of TOP $12 million [US$6.7 million] at the Tonga Power Popua station in 'Anana is expected to be officially opened on July 24, and start generating electricity, a Tonga Power Ltd. spokesperson said.

The solar farm has capacity to be able to generate 1,880 megawatt hours of electricity a year, or about 4 percent of Tongatapu's total electricity demand. It is expected to reduce Tonga's use of diesel by approximately 470,000 liters and decrease carbon emissions by over 2,000 tons annually, she said.

Meridian Energy, a leading developer of renewable energy in New Zealand constructed the solar farm with funding from the New Zealand government. The spokesperson said the final partnership agreement between Meridian and Tonga Power required Tonga Power to operate and maintain the facility with asset management support from...