More must be done in the areas of prevention, care, social support and youth care in the Caribbean Netherlands. A great deal has been set in motion over the past period and still more is to come, Minister Mirjam Sterk (Long-Term Care, Youth and Sport) writes today in a letter to the House of Representatives. In the view of the Cabinet, further steps are needed towards good-quality provisions in the Caribbean Netherlands that are of an equivalent standard to those in the European Netherlands.
Minister Sterk:
“In the Caribbean Netherlands we need to move towards a level of provisions that is equivalent to the European Netherlands. That is why it is important to devote more attention to prevention, good care, support and youth care for the residents of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. This calls for a tailored approach, because owing to the small scale of the islands we cannot simply adopt everything from the European Netherlands on a one-to-one basis. That is, therefore, something I will be working hard on in the period ahead, together with care partners on the islands and the Public Entities.”
Greater attention to prevention
Many chronic conditions are linked to lifestyle and living environment and can therefore, to a significant extent, be prevented. Together with the Public Entities of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, we are giving this extra attention. One example is the recently launched Caribbean NIX18 campaign on Saba and St. Eustatius. Shortly, this campaign will also be launched on Bonaire, to make parents and retailers aware of the minimum age of 18 for the consumption of alcohol. In addition, playgrounds on each island were refurbished over the past year so that it is safe for children to play and be active there.
Organising care closer to home
Strong first-line care is important for an accessible and well-functioning care system. Since the start of this year, all general practice surgeries on Bonaire have met a quality standard (NHG-accredited), and further steps are taken to strengthen first-line care on Saba and St. Eustatius.
Regional cooperation with other care institutions is essential in order to make care closer to home possible. The health centres on Saba and St. Eustatius are increasingly cooperating with the hospital on Bonaire, which will soon make it possible to assess radiology images remotely. To improve access to emergency care for patients on Saba and St. Eustatius, cooperation with Guadeloupe is being established.
Medical referrals
Owing to the small scale of the islands, medical referrals are unavoidable. Around 7,000 medical referrals take place each year, the majority of which go well. At the same time, the investigation by the National Ombudsman shows that patients experience problems with the provision of information, the personal support during a medical referral and the handling of complaints.
A number of improvements have therefore been introduced, such as the redesign of the website www.zorgenjeugdcn.nl, improved telephone availability and a more accessible complaints procedure. In the period ahead, further steps will be taken to improve the provision of services. For a good provision of information, the ultimate aim is to have a digital portal for people with insurances where they can track their data and progress. It is also being examined how the complaints procedure can be brought to people’s attention more effectively and how people with insurances can be given more choice between contracted care providers within the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.