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Repair work on emergency sirens on-going

TSUNAMI SIREN
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Department of Homeland Security/ TEMCO Division has confirmed that maintenance and repair work is being conducted on all emergency sirens on Tutuila and Aunu’u. 

“This service will be done by off-island contractors beginning Saturday January 21, 2023 until February 06, 2023, which may include the weekends. 

“The public are urged to not be alarmed since the sirens will most likely be activated without prior notice as part of maintenance operations.”

Last month, a siren activated on its own in Aua, on Christmas day and the DHS confirmed they were investigating why that occurred.

OTHER COMMUNITY NEWS

Four volunteer physicians and a nurse from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are lending a hand at LBJ hospital. Welcome Dr Audrey Tarr, a urogynaecologist; Dr James Gebhard an orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Melvin Carter, cardiologist; nurse Allison Carter; and Dr. Harold Walker, radiologist.

According to the hospital’s newsletter released Dr Tarr has been involved in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeon for over 27 years.

Dr. Tarr is providing training to the local OBGYN team, hysteroscopy [procedure to look in the uterus to find the cause of bleeding] and assisting to improve pap smear and mammogram screening. To date she has inserted 38 Mirena IUDs to prevent pre-cancer in uterus and 22 surgeries (3 laparoscopic surgeries cysts removal).

Dr. Gebhard has seen over 1,600 patients since his arrival in April 2022. A total of 89 Spinal Injections with 4 Spinal Surgeries [2 Lumbar and 2 Cervical] were completed.

“I have enjoyed taking care of patients with spine and orthopedic problems.”

Dr. Walker has more than 37 years of practice in CT Scan readings.

The newsletter says that CT Scan readings have been backed up since October 2022.  “Since his arrival, he is just 1-2 weeks away from completing them all. “This saved LBJ lots of money rather than hiring an outside radiologist to read these images.

 “Dr. Walker diagnoses and treats patients. “He hopes to teach and introduce to the Radiology & ER Department these new inter-connectional procedures. “American Samoa is a beautiful island,” said Walker. 

Dr. Melvin Eric Carter a cardiologist has 34+ years of practice and his wife Allison Carter (RN, NP) is the medical assistant to her husband. They have seen over 600 patients since their arrival. “We are blessed to be on your island and we were able to keep 20-30 patients from having to go overseas.”