In a recent Samoa News article, “ASG welcomes generous donation to local healthcare services”, it was reported that LBJ hospital purchased a MRI in 2020. This was according to a Cabinet presentation by then LBJ CEO Faumuina John Faumuina in October 2020 that was reported by the media.

Samoa News has since learnt that the MRI that former LBJ CEO Faumuina mentioned in his presentation was not purchased — a deposit was made to MedPharm in October 2020, but the balance of $1.5M was never paid.

The deposit of $500,000 however was not returned, instead it was used to pay off an LBJ outstanding balance to MedPharm that was providing equipment and services to LBJ, through a service contract developed with the previous LBJ Administration. MedPharm apparently kept the deposit as part of payments it said it was owed on this contract and its services.

Complaints of the breakdown of the MRI at LBJ over the past years could therefore refer instead to the CT scanner, not a MRI.

The generous gift to LBJ of a MRI from The Helmsley Charitable Trust stands as the first ever MRI provided to American Samoa to help improve its healthcare.

Samoa News apologizes to the Helmsley Charitable Trust, LBJ Medical Center and our readers for its inadvertent error.