Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero on Thursday welcomed the Legislature’s approval of $40 million from the government’s General Fund to help Guam Memorial Hospital address urgent financial and infrastructure needs. The funds will be used to pay critical vendors and cover emergency repairs at the island’s only public hospital.
“This action is a positive and necessary step,” Leon Guerrero said, crediting the persistence of hospital employees who rallied at the Guam Congress Building for moving the measure forward. The governor also thanked senators for answering her repeated calls for a special session and acting with urgency to provide the funding.
The administration stressed that while the appropriation offers immediate relief, it falls short of resolving the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority’s overall shortfall. Officials said broader legal and operational tools, which require further legislative action, are still needed to manage the hospital through what the governor described as an emergency.
“These measures do not ‘save’ GMH,” Leon Guerrero said. “They buy us some time to breathe—time we intend to use to protect patient safety, pay critical vendors, and keep essential services running while we pursue long-term solutions.” The governor said her office will review the legislation before taking final action.