A high number of deaths last month at the the main hospital in the Northern Marianas highlights the CNMI's problem with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the hospital's chief executive says.
Esther Muña Photo: Supplied
Esther Muña of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation said there were 20 deaths in June, with 12 patients dead on arrival.
Ms Muña told the Marianas Variety that over the last three months the majority of deaths recorded by the hospital were linked to NCDs, such as cardiovascular disease or cancer.
She dentified risk factors such as a poor diet and a lack of physical activity.
Almost half of the CNMI population did not have health insurance and had not had any health screenings, yet more than half had an NCD, Ms Muña said.