Dear Editor,
The primary role of our Government is to provide for the safety and security of its citizens, the health and wellbeing of its citizens, and to provide an environment of economic opportunity for its citizens. However, the recent deterioration of safety & security, the inadequate medical facilities, delay in construction of a new hospital, and flat economic growth suggest that the manner in which our Government is fulfilling its role leaves a lot to be desired.
Case in point, SMMC. During the last Parliamentary Elections, MP Heyliger promised to build a new hospital, but at the eleventh hour, due to a change in Government, his promise was quashed, with the new Minister of VSA announcing alternative plans. This type of political tit-for-tat does the people of St. Maarten a great disservice, as it interrupts continuity of any projects, and in the end, we, the people, suffer, not the politicians!!
Perhaps most of our people do not realize that the negotiations SZV had previously, were with a company called VAMED, a global leader in developing healthcare facilities, with 760 Health projects in 78 countries. These negotiations with VAMED to design, finance, construct and maintain a new hospital ended as abruptly as the last government's term, and the new Government has now appointed Royal HaskoningDHV as engineering consultant for the project.
Although transparency has been touted, very few details of the new hospital have been released, so in the interest of public health and as a taxpayer I would like to ask the Government and the Ministry of VSA the following:
1) Is the financing of the new hospital comparable with what VAMED offered?
2) If the interest rate is different, what is it and what will the total financial impact be as the financing matures.
3) Has the Government adequately addressed the needs of our people and our neighbors in the design, or do we still intend to send our people to foreign countries in Latin America.? What procedures are we sending our people abroad for and at what cost?
4) Has the Government considered Medical Tourism in the design elements of the new hospital to attract some of the talent the island is lacking, and diversify our tourism product?
5) Has the Government engaged DeVry University to establish a "teaching" curriculum at the new hospital as other institutions do? For those unfamiliar with DeVry as parent of AUC on St. Maarten, they are a US $2 billion-a-year company, with resources and knowledge that could make them an excellent partner in the new hospital.
In closing and in the interest of transparency, I would challenge the Government and the Ministry of VSA, to publish the design details of the new hospital before it goes out to bid. I would also challenge the Government and the Ministry of VSA to host town hall meetings with the people of St. Maarten to provide answers to the above, and other questions and concerns we have. The health and wellbeing of our people cannot and must not be all smoke and mirrors.
Granting a project of such significance as a new hospital cannot and must not be taken lightly, as we can ill afford to be stuck with a mediocre facility for the next 15 years, or however long the financing will be. We also have to ensure that whichever contractors are chosen are up to the task, and not just going to the lowest bidder, as we have seen the negative impact of the results of this practice in recent months.
A Concerned Citizen
Name withheld at author's request.
