Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Speaking at last week’s cabinet meeting, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga revealed that funding has been set aside by the ASG coronavirus task force for a drug rehabilitation project.

He said Department of Public Works is working on the design for the center and once that’s complete — construction will begin. He said this is not a complicated project, and points out that building it would probably take six or seven months.

This project should start upon completion of the design as the money is already set aside, according to the governor who didn’t reveal how much has been allocated.

The governor’s explanation followed a statement by Health director Motusa Tuileama Nua that in the next six months, the Health Department and its partners are pushing forward with a drug rehab center.

However, he said there won’t be a two-story building during the current administration, but at least there should be a ground-breaking ceremony. He reiterated that DoH is pushing for a temporary drug rehab center to be in place.

As reported by Samoa News in the past, the High Court has many times questioned the lack of a rehab center in the territory, as drug cases continue to increase.

US CERTIFIED VETERINARIAN

Motusa also said that DoH is working with ASG Agriculture director Sala Dr. Mataese Samuelu to hire a U.S. certified veterinarian. He said they will push to restart the stray dog task force to help reduce the number of stray dogs with leptospirosis, which has resurfaced.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) leptospirosis is a disease that can affect humans and animals, including your pets. All animals can potentially become infected with Leptospirosis. It also says that the bacteria that causes Leptospirosis are spread through the urine of infected animals, which can get into water or soil and can survive there for weeks to months.

Meanwhile on Facebook, it’s been pointed out that Dr. Kenneth Lameta is back at the Veterinary Clinic that is under the Department of Agriculture (DOA).

Dr. Lameta was recommended for termination “or at minimum, immediate reassignment to a position that does not involve the practice of veterinary medicine,” in Oct. 2019, in a confidential memorandum to then-DOA Director Filifaatal M. Fuiava that Samoa News was able to obtain.

Reasons for the move were listed in the memo, including not only public complaints about his competence as a veterinarian, but also the fact he is not U.S certified and therefore unable “to obtain controlled substances needed for the safe and humane practice of veterinary medicine.”

Allegations from the public were also listed.

The confidential memo was signed by former Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo V. Ale, and approved by Gov. Lolo on Oct. 18, 2019.

After it was received, Dr. Lameta was ‘reassigned’ to the DOA Office by the former DOA director, who had hired him from Samoa. It’s unknown what his duties were in the DOA office.