News item | 29-09-2022 | 12:15
The care and youth care in the special municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba must become equivalent to that in the European Netherlands. That is the starting point of the vision of State Secretary Van Ooijen (VWS) for the development of health care in the Caribbean Netherlands in the coming period. Major catching up has been made in recent years and facilities have been built up to an acceptable level. Now that the foundation has been laid, there is room to continue working on improving the quality and availability of the offer.
Customized healthcare system
State Secretary Van Ooijen (VWS): “Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius are a fully-fledged part of the Netherlands, which means that care must also be available on an equal basis. I want to work with the local government, involved care organizations and the residents there. “Working towards the Caribbean Netherlands. Equal, however, does not mean that we take over everything from the European Netherlands one-on-one. The ambition is a healthcare system that is tailor-made for the Caribbean Netherlands, taking into account the small-scale context of the islands.”
Quality and availability of healthcare offer
In all areas of health care and youth, work continues on the quality and availability of the offer. The elderly and people with disabilities should receive the care they need, also in the context of an aging population. The offer for young people with complex problems will also be improved. Exercise and a healthy lifestyle must become part of the daily lives of residents. In the field of public health, further development of the local branches of the special municipalities is important. Finally, if care cannot be organized within the Caribbean Netherlands, we will arrange this as much as possible in the region. The starting point is: as close as possible and as far as necessary.
Cooperation within the Kingdom
Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten (CAS) are autonomous countries within the Kingdom and therefore have their own responsibility for their healthcare system and public health. But we are partly dependent on each other for the availability of good care throughout the Kingdom. That is why the Dutch Caribbean Hospital Alliance (DCHA) was recently established, a partnership between various hospitals in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. To promote high-quality care in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, it is of great importance that the four countries in the Kingdom stimulate this cooperation.