MP-elect Grisha Heyliger-Marten (right) during a visit with Hermogenes Polonia Raap who will be 101 years old in April.
PHILIPSBURG--United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP)-elect Grisha Heyliger-Marten is calling on Social and Health Insurances SZV to address what she calls a “technical issue” negatively affecting the printing of SZV cards.
She also called for the validity of cards to move from two to five years for seniors. Heyliger-Marten said in a press release that the social well-being of residents can be improved by adopting global best practices when caring for seniors. With the economic challenges individuals face daily, Heyliger-Marten says there is also a clear argument for raising the pension premium.
“Many of our older citizens struggle with illnesses that make mobilising themselves a painful task at best. St. Maarten should be at the stage where providing transportation for our seniors who need support for medical treatment is standard. It should also not be only at banks that our seniors do not have long waits in lines to receive essential services on the island,” she said in the release.
“Our social and health insurance institution must adapt best practices to serve our older adults better and help them meet the challenges that come with ageing. Verification of prescriptions and refilling medicine should be a service the SZV provides directly to the homes of our senior citizens.”
She believes that seniors get a “raw deal” after they spent most of their lives helping to build St. Maarten. Alluding to Mahatma Gandhi, Heyliger-Marten said as a lawyer, social activist and leader, “Gandhi educated people on the importance of care for seniors. He told his people that the greatness of a country could be judged by how it treats the weakest of its citizens. For me, that means we must be better at taking care of the poor, young children, persons with mental and physical disabilities and the senior citizens of our country.”
She also called on SZV to invest in a country-wide campaign of “respect for senior citizens. They have built St. Maarten, and we must stop saying no to them and come up with solutions to better their lives. It is high time that we review the SZV's policy on how it treats our seniors.”
The outcome of such a review “must include ensuring SZV provides tools and resources to our seniors to help them maintain their independence. We cannot make our senior citizens feel helpless when they have to leave their homes for a doctor’s visit. If they must leave their home for specialised care, we must go to their homes to pick them up and return them to their homes after they have received the necessary medical care. The goal of the SZV should be to help our citizens maintain a healthy lifestyle in an atmosphere of comfort.”
The MP-elect is also concerned about the transition from being medically covered as an employee to being a pensioner. “We must make the transition from medical coverage as an employee to becoming a pensioner as smooth as possible so that our citizens do not have to worry about what comes next for them.”
She says SZV should engage in more discussions with seniors and their caregivers to find ways to improve the level of service it provides and help soon-to-be pensioners plan their future. The outcome should include incorporating services in their pension plan that are geared towards prevention.
“As an incoming Member of Parliament, I recognise the task of an MP and as such I will admonish the SZV to work with the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA and their boards to review the legislation and policies that negatively affect their patients. Let me make it clear from the onset that patient care is something that I intend to keep a keen eye on as a legislator,” she said.
