FROM THE PUBLISHER ’ S DESK
When I came to visit Peter Sgro at Guam Regional Medical Center after his back surgery a couple of months ago , I found papers stacked up on a table next to his hospital bed . Barely recuperating , he was going through a document . “ This is a proposal I would submit to GEDA ,” he said .
The paper contained recommendations on how to build Guam ’ s new hospital . “ The government is paying its consultant $ 6 million while I am giving this for free ,” he said .
“ You ’ re carrying the world on your shoulders . I think you should rest and recover first ,” I said as I handed him a box of vegetable salad .
“ You ’ ll be the first one to get the story ,” he said .
“ I ’ m here as a friend , not a journalist . I am not interviewing you . Eat your salad ,” I said .
But he went on chewing over his ideas — and he had a lot . He spoke , with an overwhelming passion , about nearly every issue affecting Guam : health care , drug problems , government corruption , land grabbing , abortion and religion , among others .
“ I care so much for this island ,” he said .
We knew that about him . At times , he was misunderstood and on certain occasions , shunned by fools .
I ’ ve never met anyone who cared for Guam as much as he did . As soon as he got out of the hospital , he mobilized a rally in Adelup to call for government reforms . He spent time with the homeless , feeding them and listening to their stories when no one would . He shared his tiny apartment with a homeless man , a testament to his incredible selflessness .
Farewell to a visionary
He spent time with the homeless , feeding them and listening to their stories when no one would . He shared his tiny apartment with a homeless man , a testament to his incredible selflessness .
I met Pete in 2006 for an interview after he formed the Healthcare Development Foundation , whose ambitious goal was to build a private hospital . The idea , he said , was spawned by his encounter with the island ’ s inadequate health care system when his mother was hospitalized at Guam Memorial Hospital , which has historically been a subject of political bickering .
Pete wasn ’ t just a talker . He delivered results .
Steering clear of politics ,
Pete gathered the island ’ s best minds , drafted a comprehensive plan and courted serious investors . On an island that has perfected failures , Pete
Peter Sgro
was an aberration .
His plan was initially met with skepticism . Naysayers dismissed it as a pipe dream but Pete persevered with confidence .
In the summer of 2015 , Guam ’ s health care landscape changed when GRMC , a $ 240 million facility with a 130-bed capacity , opened its doors . He recruited medical specialists and health care professionals to Guam , providing a new option for local patients who otherwise had to travel off-island for medical care .
GRMC was a monument to Pete ’ s brilliance , the culmination of his long years of hard work and the realization of his vision .
Guam mourns Pete ’ s untimely departure but his legacy lives on . Goodbye , Pete .
Publisher / Editor-in-Chief Mar-Vic Cagurangan publisher @ pacificislandtimes . com
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