Dear Editor,
It is being said all over the place that MP Dr. Mercelina wants Minister Lee fired. One would think MP Mercelina would want to be the next Minister of VSA. However, I doubt that very much. First, we must ask ourselves if the Honourable Doctor in Parliament is being paid full-time for being a surgeon and paid full-time for being an MP. The talk on social media is about cutting the MPs’ salaries, but one thing for sure is that this hefty MP’s salary is to work full-time as an MP.
Some MPs tried to get away in the past, stating that they sometimes work from home. Well, explain how you can do that while operating on a patient. Unless the Honourable Doctor in Parliament is working at SMMC for free.
Our dear MP Doctor collects two full-time salaries for working part-time in Parliament and part-time in the hospital, and two medical insurances: one from government and one from SMMC.
Yet, MP Mercelina is against the national health insurance for the uninsured, proposed by the Minister of VSA. One of his arguments: St. Maarten is not a rich country.
The Prime Minister of Dominica did it, why can’t St. Maarten? Any self-respecting government would want to help those who are in dire need of medical coverage.
Ann Gumbs
