AMI team as they made their way to St. Maarten, April 2020.
PHILIPSBURG--The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport VWS says the AMI Expeditionary Healthcare team will remain active until October 1.
A spokesperson for VWS through the Dutch Representation Office in St. Maarten in response to a request for comment from The Daily Herald said that the AMI Healthcare team will remain active until October 1, or as long as necessary.
According to a statement provided by the ministry, the current health situation on St. Maarten does not allow the removal of the AMI team due to increasing coronavirus COVID-19 infections.
The Ministry said that in addition to making active efforts to ensure that medical assistance runs as smoothly as possible, the Dutch government will also continue to insist on maintaining COVID-19 measures such as keeping one and a half meters away from others, staying at home, testing if experiencing symptoms and washing hands.
“It is important that these basic measures are also observed by the thousands of tourists who fortunately manage to find St. Maarten again,” the statement read. “Finally, the Netherlands is helping to raise the vaccination rate now about 35 per cent on St. Maarten) as quickly as possible.”
About 30 medical professionals from AMI Healthcare came to St. Maarten in April 2020 to assist the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) in its COVID-19 response. During this time six intensive care unit doctors, six nurses, six certified nursing assistants, two respiratory therapists, three paramedics, three case workers and two project managers arrived on St. Maarten.
The AMI’s assistance to St. Maarten is in part funded by the Dutch Government to provide relief to the country as it navigates the COVID-19 pandemic.
