Literal dirty laundry because of growing list of Public Health failures

Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services’ director and public information officer both are ignoring questions about the agency causing thousands of apartment renters to lose access to their laundry facilities over the past several weeks.

According to several landlords who have complained to Kandit, DPHSS has shut down laundry facilities within apartment complexes because of DPHSS’ inability to provide sanitary inspections until at least November. Thousands of tenants either have to crowd laundromats, or pile up and reuse dirty clothes.

The agency – among the largest in terms of employment and budget within GovGuam – reportedly is trying to hire more public health inspectors as it races to inspect school facilities. Meanwhile, private sector establishments that must renew sanitary permits every year either have closed, or are in danger of closing because of DPHSS’ failure to inspect facilities in order to renew the permits.

“It’s all pathetic, wrong and a complete collapse in government basic functions and duties to the public,” one of the landlords told Kandit, frustrated because of the conditions the tenants have to endure. “I’m tired of paying taxes just to pay the salaries of self-serving idiots.”

The listed phone numbers for both the DPHSS director’s office and the public information office ring continuously and go unanswered. Neither official is responding to email on the matter. The public health director also is not replying to WhatsApp messages about the problem.