Healthcare Commissioners and ZJCN Strengthen Regional Hospital Collaboration
Bonaire – The commissioners responsible for healthcare in Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba, together with Zorg en Jeugd Caribisch Nederland (ZJCN), have completed a working visit to partner hospitals in St. Maarten (SMMC), Curaçao (CMC), Aruba (HOH and IMSAN), and Bonaire (FM). This marks a further step in improving healthcare access and quality for the Caribbean Netherlands.
Gaining Insight, Sharing Concerns
The goal of the visit was to provide the commissioners with firsthand understanding of how care is delivered to insured patients from the islands. Hospitals presented recent improvements, strategic developments, and acknowledged challenges—many of which are linked to regional demographics and cultural contexts. The commissioners also communicated concerns raised by patients and healthcare workers back home.
A Call for Patient Engagement
ZJCN emphasized the importance of patient participation in improving healthcare. Each hospital has a designated complaint officer, and the proper use of complaint procedures helps identify structural issues and improve care quality. ZJCN encourages all patients to make use of these channels.
Committed to Continued Improvement
Despite known challenges, the visit reaffirmed the shared commitment to strengthening medical care for residents of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. ZJCN and the commissioners thank all hospital partners for their openness and collaboration and look forward to continued joint efforts.