State Secretary Paul Blokhuis (centre) visiting Saba Health Care Foundation’s laboratory.
SABA--This year and the next Saba will be getting US $76,000 extra for public health. In total $152,000 will become available for “better care for children, adults and the elderly in Saba,” State Secretary of Public Health, Welfare and Sport VWS Paul Blokhuis announced Monday during his visit to Saba.
This way, Blokhuis honours Saba’s request for an additional nurse for healthcare for children, for example.
“We want to further strengthen the great strength of society in Saba and the public entity,” Blokhuis said. “Saba has experienced solid development in the social domain, which we like to continue.”
Also announced Monday, Saba will do more to prevent children and young people from getting into trouble “by taking early action when things do not go well in a family and by looking for a solution together. To achieve this, two additional persons are appointed. VWS is giving Saba $125,000 a year for the next two years,” Blokhuis said. “But if everything goes well our aim is to continue this.”
Furthermore, it was agreed that Youth Care and Family Guardianship Caribbean Netherlands JGCN and the public entity will work intensively together to ensure that every child in Saba receives the care he or she deserves and that nobody falls between the cracks.
Blokhuis also said he wants to improve home care for the elderly. “We will do this by investing extra next year in household assistance, catering, and transportation when needed, for example, to be able to buy groceries, and in home modifications. In the coming years, we will make extra efforts with investments to increase the quality of elderly care. More hands are coming to the bed. We are discussing what this will mean exactly for the people here in Saba.”
According to him, a Caribbean Prevention and Sports Agreement must be completed early 2019.
VWS and Saba are jointly fighting smoking, overweight and problematic alcohol use “in a way that fits the Caribbean Netherlands,” according to Blokhuis. “And we will do more to prevent and support unintentional teen pregnancies. This too must fit in perfectly with what you can best use here on Saba.”
Blokhuis also said he had received a good impression of the island and received a warm welcome here.
“I would like to dwell on medical examination of the population in the Caribbean Netherlands,” Blokhuis said. “We have heard concerns and critical voices about this in the media. … As far as I am concerned, we will continue to work as quickly as possible on the basis of what is already being done on medical research … in the Caribbean Netherlands. And we will let the highly experienced Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment RIVM monitor and consult closely.”
