Dear Editor,
As you are aware, Dr. Van Essen, the nephrologist and internal medicine specialist at SMMC, left in April of this year.
He has since been replaced by another nephrologist from the Netherlands. However, it remains to be seen how long she will be able to continue under the current circumstances before facing burnout.
At present, she appears to be the only nephrologist serving SMMC. This means she is responsible for the dialysis department, patients admitted on the wards, as well as referrals from other physicians.
Dialysis treatment is not limited to daytime hours; it operates both day and night and specifically requires that a nephrologist be available during night services.
From all indications, this is not consistently happening as it should.
God forbid she decides to leave as well. The grim reality is that the Chronic Kidney Disease patient community in St. Maarten is far too large for the country to find itself without a specialist in this field. If I am not mistaken, SMMC also provides dialysis services for patients from Saba and St. Eustatius through its dialysis unit.
While political priorities may continue to dominate attention, lives are literally at stake. Patients suffering from kidney disease depend on stable, continuous, and specialized care.
The Ministry of Health must urgently address the shortage of nephrology coverage at SMMC before the situation reaches a crisis point.
The people of St. Maarten deserve reassurance that adequate staffing, patient safety, and continuity of care are being treated with the seriousness they require.
A.A. Bryan
