Undersecretary Blokhuis answers questions about the consequences of the problems at the Sehos hospital in Willemstad.
Date September 4, 2019
Subject Parliamentary questions
Dear Chairman,
I hereby send you, also on behalf of the Undersecretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the answers to the questions from MPs Van den Berg (CDA) and Van Dam (CDA) about the consequences of the problems with the Sehos hospital in Willemstad (2019Z15369).
Yours sincerely,
the Undersecretary for Health, Wellness and Sport, Paul Blokhuis
Answers to parliamentary questions from MPs Van den Berg (CDA) and Van Dam (CDA) about the consequences of the problems at the Sehos hospital in Willemstad (2019Z15369).
Question 1
Are you familiar with the problems that the Sint Elisabeth Hospital (Sehos Hospital) in Curaçao is facing? 1) 2)
Answer question 1
Yes
Questions 2 and 9
How many non-acute operations are normally performed at the Sehos hospital each year?
Can you indicate how the Sehos hospital and the government of Curaçao want to solve the problems at the hospital? Can an estimate be given of the period in which the hospital can operate fully again?
Answer questions 2 and 9
I do not have such information. As an autonomous country, Curaçao itself is responsible for (hospital) care. The requested information rests with the country.
Question 3
How many Bonaire patients normally receive non-acute surgery at Sehos hospital each year?
Answer question 3
Only a small group of patients from Bonaire (including Saba and Sint Eustatius) are referred to the SEHOS for non-acute operations. Patients from Bonaire (Saba and Sint Eustatius) are referred to Aruba, Colombia, Sint Maarten and Guadeloupe for most non-acute operations. Patients from Bonaire are referred to Curaçao (SEHOS) for small, outpatient ENT treatments, neonatology, obstetrics (partisan 24-36 weeks), advanced ultrasound, radiology and oncology.
Question 4
Are patients from Bonaire currently on the waiting list for non-acute surgery at the Sehos hospital? If so, how much?
Answer question 4
The planned ENT treatment has been suspended for one patient. At the moment there are also shortages of certain medication for cancer treatments. This does not currently affect patients from the BES Islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba). The ZVK has agreed to send new patients who should be treated with this medication to Colombia. The indication and communication about this is done through the treating physician.
Question 5
Where can Bonaire patients go now for non-acute surgery? How are they informed about this?
Answer question 5
See answering questions 3 and 4.
Question 6
Do patients from Bonaire have to incur extra costs for non-acute operations (for example for extra travel costs), now that these are no longer being performed in Curaçao? If so, are they compensated for this in any way?
Answer question 6
Travel and accommodation costs for medical trips abroad are reimbursed under the BES Healthcare Insurance Claims Regulations.
Questions 7 and 8
What is the reason that the hospital does not always meet the budget? Has an investigation been performed?
To what extent do the financial problems of the Sehos hospital have to do with the double costs that have to be incurred by maintaining the current hospital (Sehos) on the one hand and maintaining a hospital that is not yet operational (on the other) Curaçao Medical Center)?
Answer questions 7 and 8
The exact causes of the financial problems are a matter for the country of Curaçao. However, the Curaçao and Sint Maarten Financial Supervision Board (Cft) does pay structural attention to the financial situation of the Sehos hospital and the new construction of the Curaçao Medical Center with regard to the (possible) effects on the national budget.