In the 40-plus years I’ve lived in North Kona, I’ve used Kona Community Hospital (in South Kona) for many emergency room visits and outpatient procedures, all with satisfactory results, despite the hospital’s obscure location. Luckily, before recently, I never had to be admitted for an extended stay. Now, after 40 years things obviously changed, and for extended stay patients the South Kona Hospital is way overcrowded (before, during, and after COVID), understaffed, duplicitous, and often incompetent to the point of being barbaric. No matter how “nice” some of the staff can be, the shortcomings now of that ancient hospital cannot be overlooked.
I was admitted to the hospital one morning for a procedure, to be released that afternoon. As required by the doctor and the hospital, in addition to my two shots and a booster, I took another COVID test the day before, and had another one in the surgery room. All tests were negative. After the procedure, I was placed in a large room, (a ward, separated only by hanging sheets), which was filled by people coughing and a person shouting incoherently, I was stuck in there for a week after incurring infections (e.g. deadly sepsis)). The degree of the short-staffing merely trying to “manage” patients instead of testing, treating, and responding to their needs, astounded me. After being declared “fine” by that staff, despite having a high fever and unable to walk, and becoming incoherent, I was discharged to my family.
My family immediately took me to North Hawaii Community Hospital, where I was told I had COVID, (and my family had caught it from me), and was admitted to an isolation room. After a week of isolation and treatment. After a week of isolation and treatment by North Hawaii, I was declared well enough to go home.
I’m under the impression that all of us in the South Kona hospital ward developed COVID. None of us ever told we had cover by the South Kona hospital, if testing even took place, nor were others like my family told. And I doubt that hospital reported itself as a “super spreader.” Our investigation indicates I was infected with COVID on the second day at that hospital. Who’s died? They’ll probably say “we do the best that we can with limited resources.” But that is not good enough! A new North Kona hospital is needed now!
I was one the new courthouse site selection committee, representing the West Hawaii Bar Association. Under the leadership of retired Judge Ronald Ibarra, much political effort had gone on for years to consolidate judicial services in a single North Kona facility, to replace the expensive, grossly substandard facilities spread inefficiently all over Kona. The state Legislature and Judiciary finally heard and considered growing West Hawaii’s pleas. The state hired a private consultant to work with the committee. Many sites, all on North Kona free government land with excellent existing streets and other infrastructure, were considered. Decision was made for a government land site across the street from the new West Hawaii Civic Center, where there was much acreage (for instance, for a new jail that was being contemplated to alleviate overcrowding at the Hilo jail). All other state courthouses were near county administration buildings, for ease of doing business. This was the obvious choice. Then the private consultant pulled the consensus site and substituted private land owned by its client that wasn’t even on the list. Though the privately owned land for a courthouse was offered for cheap, it was clear that the private land owner sought to profit from private offices, restaurants, etc. that would come to be on its lands near the courthouse. The consultant’s excuse for ignoring the obvious site and the other sites on state land was there were one or more rare trees somewhere in the large government acreage selected. The overwhelming need for a new courthouse, anywhere in North Kona, intimidated most West Hawaii Bar Association members into only very weakly objecting. The state Legislature went along with the private consultant’s recommendation, not knowing or caring about the chicanery.
Is this to be the fate of much needed North Kona hospital, despite huge acreage of free, well-placed government land with infrastructure, endless delays while Oahu legislature and land owning private developers fight over profit and spoils at the expense, and even deaths, of the residents of West Hawaii. A West Hawaii hospital is so obviously the right thing to do, it is shameful for Oahu legislators to resist and play money and politics. Kona’s state representative Nicole Lowen is leading the charge for a new hospital. But the uncaring Oahu legislators have it stymied so far. She should be supported whole heartedly. If the Oahu legislators were required to go into Kona Community Hospital for their medical treatment, a new North Kona hospital would be quickly legislated.
The Kona coffee labeling bill was also promoted by Lowen. It is an obviously righteous bill supported by everyone in Kona, and supports the farmer’s well being, as well as the industry in the state. Unscrupulous marketeers sometimes label their coffee “10% Kona coffee” when there is little or no Kona coffee in the expensive bags. This is something obvious to the Oahu legislators, and the bill was something that they should unequivocally support for the good of Kona and the state, and for honesty. But the lobbyists prevailed this year, and the unknowing or uncaring Oahu legislators threw the bill away, and instead substituted a “study”, which will spin away under the lobbyists’ influence. Is this the fate of the much-needed North Kona hospital?
The South Kona hospital was built many decades ago to service the Kona population then centered in South Kona. It is no good, in fact a detriment, for the much larger population base now in North Kona. Its treacherous access combined with the terrible traffic jams on Queen Kaahumanu and Mamalahoa highways, created by County Council indifference, lack of foresight, and allowing massive development without infrastructure and the perpetually missing Alii Drive realignment, stop and slow emergency vehicles on the long and winding road to the South Kona hospital. It can remain to serve its original objective of South Kona and Ka’u. But it is a dangerous and obsolete institution for the huge North Kona population, including tourists and the airport. A North Kona hospital is so obvious and past due needed, that opposition is shameful.
A North Kona hospital would be near the airport, for patients and doctors convenience. It would be near the community college at Palamanui for nursing students to intern. More doctors would come to practice in North Kona “where the money is” and associate with a modern North Kona hospital. Now they are discouraged from coming to Kona because the only hospital for them to associate with is an old and poor quality limited institution, very far away.
A charitable fund is being established with the very legitimate Hawaii Community Foundation. It is exclusively for the construction of and providing equipment for a hospital in the District of North Kona in the next 16 years. The fund is prohibited from paying for site selection, planning, soliciting, scholarships for, motivating, or recruiting any staff and doctors, and for anything to do with the South Kona hospital. More attention must be brought to this huge need of North Kona. Please contribute to this fund. All contributions, individual and entities, are tax deductible and will show public support for this huge need. The foundation is also urged to solicit contributions from its West Hawaii Fund and other monied entities.
Mark Van Pernis is a resident of Kailua-Kona.
