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Use dorms for off-island patients and families

Did you know that mothers cannot give birth on the island of Lanai? They have to travel off-island. We do not have a birthing center in our hospital or health clinic.

It’s a huge cost burden on a new family to find a place to stay until the baby comes.

In a recent “Ask the Mayor” column, someone asked about the old dormitories on the University of Hawaii Maui College campus that the county owns. The mayor seemed to be scratching his head at what to do with them.

Might I suggest the dorms be used for the patients and families of Maui Memorial Medical Center? If the county controls it, why not let the folks from Molokai, Hana and Lanai have a place to stay when they come to support their families?

When our loved ones are admitted to the hospital, many families want to be as close to them as possible. I’m sure people from all over the island of Maui would find it useful as well.

Every year, I travel with my daughter to San Francisco because of a health care issue. And every year we stay at the Ronald McDonald House free of charge.

It’s a nice idea for our community, founded in reality, that I think we all can support if we just had the politicians who would act on it.

Gabe Johnson

Lanai City

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