The average wait was 123 days in May, up from 78 in November, according to the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

The facility has been spending $2 million to $3 million per quarter on overtime since the pandemic.

Fentanyl is being mixed with other drugs to increase potency, making them more deadly.

Efforts are underway to improve the resources available, but there are currently few options for people in need of significant care.

The group didn’t trust Mokulele Airlines’ scheduled flights, underscoring the difficulties island residents have accessing health care and other services.

The money won’t go very far but officials hope it will set a new course for the community.

Lanai and Molokai residents often must fly to Honolulu weeks before their baby’s due date to be close to an urban medical center when they go into labor.

The program director cited a shortage in international doctors flying in for surgical training, a decline that began during the coronavirus pandemic.

A shortage in health care workers and stigma have posed problems, but some residents have their eyes on solutions.

For months the fragility of a vital air link endangered the health of people across rural Hawaii. The state is still trying to fix it.