There was double good news on the health front in Tuesday’s paper. St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) resumed work on the new hospital to complete the design and start preparatory construction activities. It will be several months before they really start building the actual structure, but the entire process will create significant jobs at a time when these are very much needed.
Moreover, it should provide the Dutch side as well as St. Eustatius and Saba with a new, modern General Hospital with state-of-the-art equipment and quality care. There are even plans for a medical tourism wing in the future.
It is relevant to mention that only making the complex category-5-hurricane-resistant and upgrading SMMC in the meantime are covered by the Dutch-sponsored Trust Fund. The rest regards loans from a consortium of financiers that must ultimately be repaid.
One of these is Social and Health Insurances SZV, which some have called a potential conflict of interest when it comes to – for example – setting rates. Then again, SZV and private insurance firms alike stand to save millions in medical referrals abroad due to the availability of additional specialists and facilities.
The signing of an agreement for a nursing programme at National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) is also a positive step. There is a great demand for such practitioners all over the world, which makes it a great career option.
The involvement of Chamberlain University in the US not only guarantees standards of the planned Associate Degree course, but offers students the possibility to continue with their Bachelor’s degree there or at any other accredited educational institution. The partnership with American University of the Caribbean (AUC) in this matter once again illustrates the added value of having a medical school on the island.
Both developments will hopefully contribute to a further professionalisation of local healthcare at still-affordable prices. The recent COVID-19 experience can serve as reminder of just how important that is.
