Closure of the “Huisarts Post” HAP Diagnostic Center (see Monday newspaper) in Simpson Bay raises questions. Granted, it had been a one-year pilot that was already extended for three months on June 16.
To be sure, the project offering after-hours general practitioner services can be considered a success with in total 7,000 visitors or an average of 15 per night, of which 85% was covered by Social and Heath Insurances SZV. The stated goal to relieve the Emergency Room (ER) of St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) from non-emergencies thus seems to have been met.
The problem is apparently that the contract cost SZV a lot of money. Caretaker Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA Veronica Jansen-Webster also mentioned irregularities with billing.
Her predecessor Omar Ottley expressed his disagreement in today’s edition. He said if there are administrative challenges these should be fixed, but the people must not be punished.
Jansen-Webster also argued that patients with minor illnesses would come to the HAP simply because they could not get off from the job during the day, while it was supposed to be for urgent cases. They reportedly received a consultation, but at significantly higher prices than a regular visit to the family doctor, while some would even return to the HAP for follow-up treatment instead of going to their physician.
However, the fact that employees prefer not to call in sick and instead seek treatment in the evening is not necessarily such a bad thing. It could mean less loss of productivity and therefore ultimately benefit the economy as well as government in terms of tax earnings.
The clinic claims actually reducing local healthcare expenses by offering the same service as SMMC but at a much lower rate and wants to re-enter negotiations with SZV. According to the minister, a committee of seven stakeholders that evaluated the programme, although confirming the need for such a facility, didn’t see the Diagnostic Center as the best fit.
There is nevertheless understandable concern that the hospital’s ER will now again get flooded with non-emergencies, leading to long waiting times. If that happens, the whole effort may turn out to have been basically for nothing.
