Officials at American Samoa's LBJ Hospital say they can't order enough beds to meet the demand for the crowded facility.
Photo: 123RF
Last week the hospital CEO Faumuina John Faumuina said the territory's only hospital was at fill capacity and in need of more beds.
Faumuina now says 24 beds are needed but because of other priorities such as supplies and medications and other equipment, management can only order five beds.
The new beds have been ordered for the emergency room and are scheduled to arrive shortly.
Faumuina said they had transferred some beds from the Maternity Ward to be used in the Medical and Surgical Wards.
The LBJ is a 150 bed facility and according to Faumuina most of the beds are more than 50 years old.