Lawmakers find money for Pafford, dialysis

ST. CROIX — The 35th Legislature confronted dual health crises last week: staffing agency Pafford Medical Services’ departure from the territory due to nonpayment and the looming dearth of local hemodialysis treatment options for Virgin Islanders with kidney failure.

During a Friday afternoon session, lawmakers approved appropriations of $1 million each to the Schneider and Luis hospitals and more than $2.1 million to the Health Department to cover arrearages owed to Pafford for services rendered to the Caribbean Kidney Center over the past year.

In a statement last week, Pafford announced it would leave the territory because the V.I. government owed more than $8 million to the company, which provided critical health care staff following the 2017 hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lawmakers also voted on Friday to override Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s veto of a measure honoring former Gov. Kenneth Mapp. Bryan faced criticism over his veto of the bill — which appropriates $45,000 to the Public Works Department from the government’s general fund to rename Route 75 in Mapp’s honor and calls for a ceremony to present Mapp with the Virgin Islands Medal of Honor — after indicating in his transmittal letter to Senate President Novelle Francis Jr. that his veto was informed by a perceived lack of support for a request to send $200,000 in aid to those impacted by Hurricane Beryl.