~ No bids done, no details worked out ~
PHILIPSBURG--The Council of Ministers has put on hold a letter from the former cabinet giving Social and Health Care Insurance SZV the authority to hold talks with Austrian group VAMED regarding the construction of ahospital in St. Maarten, an arrangement set to cost US $100 million.
Prime Minister William Marlin said the project was awarded without any bids taking place and without any details on the initiative being ironed out. Current Health Minister Emil Lee had asked government to put the obscure deal on holdduring a recent Council of Ministers meeting.
In response to questions on the matter Wednesday, Marlin said that while he did not have much details,when Lee conducted research into the matter, he learnt that US $70 million was for the expansion and equipment for St. Maarten Medical Centre (SMMC) and US $30 million was for facilities for medical tourism, which would be located on the premises of SMMC. Marlin said the medical tourism wing was to have been located at SMMC, constructed at a cost of US $30 million.
He said there was no input from “anyone” or any company on the initiative and no bids were done. “It appears that the idea behind that was that rather than have someone own the facility and dictate what they will or will not do, the facility would be then owned by a combination of SZV and SMMC, and then whoever wants to carry out medical tourism procedures can make use of the facility.”
Marlin said the health minister is currently busy with the process, which he said will most likely include some sort of bidding and not be given to a hand-picked institution.
He was critical of United People’s (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger for providing false and misleading information on the matter.
Marlin said contrary to what Heyliger is trying to make the public believe the current cabinet has made health care a priority and do so in a transparent manner. He said Heyliger was becoming a “spin doctor” trying to “give a different angle to things.”
“No one has said the hospital and public health are not a priority. It is a priority, but it will be transparent and be above board, and clear to all. The Leader of the UP makes it sound as if there were plans approved and a building ready... there is absolutely nothing to that effect. There was a US $100-million agreement and the question is based on what. What are you getting for US $100 million? How do you fill it all in and why was only one company involved in the process?” Marlin asked. “It is a priority for government and for the ministry.”
Heyliger was quoted as saying in a release that the governing coalition is not putting focus on the creation of a new building for St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC).
