Guam Memorial Hospital has resumed normal visitation hours after an electrical fire Tuesday forced temporary evacuations and triggered emergency protocols, hospital officials said. No injuries were reported, and inspections confirmed no lingering hazards in the affected areas.
The fire, caused by power fluctuations, reignited debate over the hospital’s aging infrastructure. GMH leadership recently warned lawmakers that the facility’s decades-old electrical panel is a “single point of failure” and part of an urgent $82 million budget request for Fiscal Year 2026 noted Senator Therese Terlaje in a release.
Speaker Frank Blas Jr. and Health Chair Sen. Sabrina Salas Matanane, who toured GMH with Acting Gov. Joshua Tenorio, sent a joint letter urging the administration to tap into American Rescue Plan Act or Rainy Day funds. “This is not just a crisis. It is a catastrophe warranting a state of emergency,” the lawmakers wrote.
In agreement, Tenorio echoed concerns and noted that the Recovery Coordination Office and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is overseeing a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant application to conduct the necessary electrical infrastructure upgrades and replacement. Though the funding is not guaranteed. The hospital has also requested $5 million in CIP funding to begin the work.
Hospital officials expressed gratitude to staff, first responders, and GPA for their swift actions. GMH pledged to continue monitoring systems while policymakers weigh funding solutions. “We are confident that the hospital is safe for patients, families, and visitors as we resume our regular operations,” said Rizaldy Tugade, GMHA’s associate administrator of operations.