6.
Subcontract the purchas‘ng of supplies to a or
organization, With the current contract between the Marshall Islands
and the Seventh-day Adventist Church a likely organization would be
Adventist Health Services West in Glendale, California,
Although there
are other organizations who could also serve this function.
should result in lower prices and better servicing.
At
regular delivery schedule should be worked out for t
This
e same time a
delivery of
supplies to the Marshall Islands via Matson Lines and NBuru Shipping.
By using both of these carriers
maintained.
with
adequate
supply lev@ls should be
Should any emergencies occur air freight could be utilized
either
Continental
Airlines
or Military Air C
Kwajelein.
C.
Maintenance
One of the factors limiting the level of health care ddlivery is the
inadequate maintenance provided for the physical plants.
has
led
to
such
problems
as
Lack
@f maintenance
leaking roofs causing damage] to supplies;
deteriorating machinery in laboratories and other departments
qausing poorer
quality
reakdown
tests
and
services
(i.e.
hemodialysis);
and
refrigerators resulting in decreased storage capacity for p
ishables and
therefore a decrease in activities which depend on the use
(i.e. lab tests, medications).
emergency electrical
system,
of
perishables
Other areas which have suffered are the
the plumbing system at Ebeye,}
conditioning at both hospitals, to name only a few.
air
In a climate such as the
one found in the Marshall Islands where the salt air is highly
the general quality of public utilities
and the
qorrosive, and
is substantially ld@ss than that
generally encountered on mainland U.S., it becomes increasingly important
and in fact imperative that a top quality maintenance programj be developed
for the hospitals in order to maintain the desired level of heplth care and
keep capital costs to a minimum.
Currently
Department
of
the
maintenance
is
being
the
Marshallese
Government.
unsatisfactory
from
the
hospital's
understandable
since
the
Public
provided
by
the
This,
however,
perspective
although
Works
department
has
responsibilities, limited budget and it would be difficlt for t
the special service which the hospitals require.
Go
Public
has
Works
been
probably
many
other
m to provide