PHOENIX — There are currently 2,559 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Navajo Nation with 1,474 of those cases in northeastern Arizona.
The fight against COVID-19 is personal for every physician, but for Dr. Michelle Tom in Winslow, it's a fight to save her home.
"You know, I have people who have been sick, who have lost their battle that I know and people who continue to be sick where I work," Dr. Tom said.
Tom grew up by candlelight on the reservation and was raised by both of her grandmothers. She played college basketball for the Lady Sun Devils in the early '90s and now is on the front lines treating COVID-19 patients at Winslow Indian Health Care Center.
"Every day we have more cases, we haven't hit a plateau, we don't see a decline," she said.
Tom says the reservation continues to lack medical providers, personal protective equipment and intensive care unit beds.
On Tuesday, The Navajo Nation said the U.S. Department of Treasury announced the release of a portion of CARES Act funding for tribes weeks after the approval of Congress.
The Nation stands to receive over $600 million from an $8 billion tribal set aside from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established in the CARES Act.
"They finally decided to free it up, Indian County is hurting right now," said Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer. "When is it time, do we get it tomorrow, do we get it in a month from now after we've had so many deaths," said Dr. Tom.
The Federal government has a long history of broken promises and treaties with the Navajo Nation.
