Once again the State Health and Planning Department (SHPDA) heard the impassioned testimony of nearly 50 Mauians on Monday, January 22, at an appeal hearing.
These Maui residents, nurses and physicians, who want a second hospital on Maui, spent their own money and time to fly to Honolulu for a long, disappointing day.
They gave highly emotional and factual information to the 6 members of SHPDA and to the few representatives of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, parent of Maui Memorial) and Maui Memorial hierarchy.
The panelists barely paid attention, never made eye contact and our emotional appeals fell on deaf ears. We had new information due to the October earthquake and the transfer of patients from Kona to Hilo and the millions of dollars spent for repairs that Hawaii Health Systems Corporation doesn