Family Health
Family Health Program
P.O. Box 6027
Ministry of Health, Republic of Palau 96940
Tel. No. (680) 488-3116
Dr. Victor M. Yano
Minister of Health
Dr. Stevenson Kuartei
Director of Public Health
Dr. Greg Dever
Director of Clinical Services
Division of Primary Health Care
* Family Program Services
The Family Health Program provides services for mothers, children, children with special needs and all women of reproductive age groups.
Under Article IV of the Constitution of the Republic of Palau, the Ministry of Health is mandated to provide healthcare services regardless of individual's ability to pay. The Family Health Program is one of the many services under the Bureau of Public Health that provides primary, preventive, and promotive health to women of reproductive age group, pregnant women, children, and children with special health care needs.
History
The first organized healthcare facility in Palau was built and operated by the U.S. Navy in the 1940's in Ngerbeched hamlet in Koror State. It was called Koror Naval Hospital. In 1950 when the Navy left Palau, the hospital became known as Koror Hospital and housed both hospital and public health activities. It was a 45 bed hospital at that time. In 1962 it was renamed MacDonald Memorial Hospital in memory of Dr. MacDonald who was one of the first non-military physicians working in the Micronesian region. In 1979 it was expanded to a 55 bed hospital.
Historically, the MacDonald Memorial Hospital housed both medical and public health services. The same standard applied when the Belau National Hospital was designed. The Belau National Hospital began its construction process in 1989 under a $24 million grant from U.S. Department of Interior. The construction was completed in September 1992 and on December 4,1992 it was opened for operation. It is an 80 bed facility and twice the size of the MacDonald Memorial Hospital.
