THE HAGUE--Canadian company National Helicopters will remain the medical evacuation provider for St. Eustatius and Saba, but with a bigger, more expensive so-called dedicated medevac helicopter that complies with the newest air traffic requirements and has a larger flight span.
Dutch Minister of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sports Edith Schippers informed the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament of the decision to keep the services of National Helicopters, stationed in St. Maarten.
National Helicopters was one of the companies that had participated in the bidding process to render medical evacuation services for Statia and Saba. The previous contract had expired on April 1, 2014.
Schippers explained in her letter that private parties were asked to submit a bid for a larger helicopter than the one that has been deployed so far. The helicopter also had to comply with the specific safety regulations and needed to have special Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) equipment on board in order to fly in the dark, above the sea.
Minister Schippers didn’t divulge how many and which companies took part in the bidding, but she merely stated that after the assessment of the offers based on price and quality, it was decided to grant the contract to National Helicopters.
A Bell430 helicopter will be stationed in St. Maarten for Statia and Saba, aside from the current helicopter that will be used as back-up when the Bell cannot fly due to maintenance or service.
“This Bell is a dedicated medevac helicopter that complies with all air traffic requirements, including IFR, oxygen reserves for critical patients, a larger flight span, which makes the hospital in Guadeloupe directly accessible, and with the possibility to carry additional nursing personnel or an escort for the patient,” stated Schippers.
The yearly cost for the helicopter will be some US $1.7 million, which is more than the current US $1 million that is being paid. The current helicopter was deployed 145 times in 2013, which cost about US $700,000.
Cooperation with the Dutch Coast Guard and the Dutch Navy in the Caribbean in the area of medevac, a possibility that was suggested by members of the Second Chamber, was not a realistic option and is also more expensive, explained Schippers.
A dedicated medevac helicopter is not suitable to carry out defence or Coast Guard tasks. The other way around, defence and Coast Guard helicopters stationed in the Dutch Caribbean are not specifically geared to transport patients. On top of that, these helicopters are not permanently available for the Windward Islands.
A total of 7,671 medical referrals took place in 2013 of patients from Bonaire, Statia and Saba who needed to go abroad to see a doctor or for an operation, stated Schippers in the explanatory note that accompanied the draft 2015 budget of the Ministry of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sports VWS, which was presented to the Second Chamber on Tuesday.
The number of insured persons in the Caribbean Netherlands in 2013 was 23,313 and the cost per capita 3,800 euros. There were 356 clients in youth care. The Ministry of VWS is making 1.4 million euros available next year for the five youth foundations on the islands that work with (problematic) youngsters, provide afterschool care and are involved in youth health care.
The total amount for the Caribbean Netherlands on the VWS budget is 87 million euros, of which 85.6 million euros is for health care and wellbeing. This is slightly more than the 79.3 million euros of 2014. According to the minister, she will keep striving for improved health care on the islands to a level that is “acceptable” for the European Netherlands.
“It concerns the achievement of a well-functioning, sustainable system of health care that is equally accessible for all those that have a right to it. In order to achieve this, justice has to be done to the cultural, geographic and other differences between the European and Caribbean part of the Netherlands, as well as to the differences between the three islands. This within the budgetary parameters. This makes it essential to realise the proposed efficiency measures such as the more efficient organising of medical referrals,” stated Schippers.
The minister promised to send a letter to the Second Chamber “very shortly” about the “(alternative) cost-cutting measures” for the Caribbean Netherlands. Member of the Second Chamber Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) has sought clarity from the minister about her reported decision to partly remove physical therapy from the health insurance package per January 1, 2015.
