Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Health Department’s new clinic on Ofu island, serving residents of Ofu and Olosega islands, is set to break ground within the next four to six months, says Health director Motusa Tuileama Nua, during a Senate Hospital/Public Health Committee hearing last Friday.

Motusa provided an update, responding to the question raised by Sen. Malaepule Saite Moliga, who represents Manu’a District #2- Ofu and Olosega.

According to the Manu’a senator, the EOB building in Ofu has been used to provide clinic service for Ofu and Olosega, and queried as to when the Ofu clinic will be ready for use, saying that a lot of money has gone into this building project.

Motusa noted that the EOB in Ofu has been used for the clinic for more than 2 years. He explained that DoH and the government have plans to build a new clinic for Ofu and Olosega, with funding approved under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

He told senators that the clinic will be built on high ground as there was a recent incident with high tidal waves that flooded the airport and also affected the Ofu clinic and therefore a decision was made to build on higher ground, with a shelter, to house residents in case of an emergency.

Motusa said funding for this project is already approved and a DoH team had just returned from Manu’a, where public hearings were held for the project — getting input from leaders and residents of Ofu and Olosega.

The DoH director said the current plan will have the ground breaking in the next four to six months for the new Ofu clinic but the only problem now is firming up the land parcel for the project. While DoH has already identified land for the project, it’s is still looking at other properties, which need to be surveyed, he said.

Motusa shared with senators that DoH has also completed the public hearing process on Ta’u island for the new clinic there, also funded with ARPA money.

As previously reported by Samoa News, public hearings on all projects funded by ARPA money is a federal requirement for the use of these funds.

The Governor’s State of the Territory Comprehensive Report, distributed to lawmakers last week, shows that of the $20 million in Community Health Center ARPA funds approved for DoH, some $2.37 million is allocated for Ofu and Olosega Clinic, and $2.41 million for Ta’u Community Health Center and Fitiuta Medical Service expansion.