Demonstrators urge
reopening of Maui
child psychiatric unit

WAILUKU » In a sign-waving rally yesterday, about a dozen people called for the return of a child psychiatric unit at the state-run Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Pualani Kamaunu, an organizer of the demonstration along Kaahumanu Avenue near the hospital, said the lack of a child psychiatric unit places extreme stress not only on children who have to be put in facilities on Oahu, but also on their parents who have to travel to another island to be with them.

"Basically, we need to have it on Maui," said Kamaunu, who has a grandson who receives mental health services.

The child psychiatric unit at Maui Memorial has been closed for more than a year due to a staffing shortage.

Maui Memorial spokeswoman Carol Clark said the hospital is working diligently to develop a long-term strategy to reopen the unit and strengthen its entire behavioral health department.

Clark said Maui Memorial's first step is to hire a medical director. "Once the medical director is on staff, we will be able to provide limited adolescent psychiatric services," she said.

She said due to a statewide shortage of child psychiatrists, Maui Memorial is working to coordinate psychiatric services with state health officials, University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine, Queen's Medical Center and others.

The child psychiatric unit closed June 1, 2004, after two on-call child psychiatrists left Maui. Hospital officials say finding child psychiatrists has been difficult because of the great demand for them nationally.