SAIPAN — CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds is urging veterans in the Commonwealth to register with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, saying official registration numbers are a key factor in the CNMI’s push for expanded local medical services.
In a recent video message, King-Hinds asked veterans to go to va.gov, create an account, and enter their information so they can be “counted” in the federal system. She said the issue is not political, but practical: without documented numbers, she said Washington decision-makers won’t recognize the CNMI’s needs when it comes to resources, services, and facilities.
King-Hinds said the CNMI is working to justify a Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), and that one of the first questions officials ask is how many veterans are registered in the system, rather than estimates or informal counts.
She pointed to the CNMI’s high per-capita enlistment and said too many veterans are still forced to travel off-island for basic care. She called on veterans and families who can help a veteran register to take a few minutes to complete the process, arguing it could be the step that helps secure the healthcare services veterans have already earned.
Watch the full video on the NMI News Service Facebook page and YouTube channel.
