PHILIPSBURG--Public Health Minister Emil Lee and regional Health Agency of the French Government General Director Valerie Denux signed what has been termed a “long-awaited” memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday to solidify a structural working relationship between the health ministries of the two sides of the island.
The MOU is expected to result in dedicated work groups that will focus on research and development in laws and regulations, quality systems, allocation of specialties, purchase and delivery of medication, secondary care, health security, emergencies, medical evacuations and more.
“From the very beginning, one of my key priorities was to ensure that the Dutch side and the French side find a way to cooperate so that we can collaborate, rather than compete. The time is now – actually, the time has passed – that we start really talking about how the two of us, the two sides of the island, can cooperate for the best interests of our own healthcare systems as well as for the quality of life for the people on our respective sides of the island,” Lee said in a press release on Tuesday.
“I think that this is an important step, an important milestone in moving in that direction.”
Lee said an initial MOU had been drafted in 2016, but was not realised at the time due to the required protocols in France not being formalised. Lee and Denux, who is responsible for public health in St. Martin, St. Barths, Martinique and Guadeloupe, have met and consulted on a structural basis this year to review and update the most recent MOU.
French and Dutch government representatives have a collective interest to reinforce and improve relations as it relates to providing quality health care that is accessible and takes into account the countries’ needs, it was stated in the release. With the construction of the new St. Maarten General Hospital in sight, exchange of complementary services will also be a topic in the work group strategies.
Lee and Denux have agreed to meet again in April 2019 to review the work groups’ progress.
“Health issues are more important than borders and nationalities. We need to formalise our relationship. Developing our relations must go through a clear framework. It is important for France to work towards an improved cooperation with our Dutch counterparts,” Denux was quoted as saying.
