Fire at the hospital: the Sint Maarten establishment will step in in case of need
Following the fire that damaged the medical service of the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital on Sunday May 8, the prefect Anne Laubies and the president of the Collectivité Aline Hanson arrived at the scene, indicated a press release from the Collectivité. In view of the damage, they immediately suggested, that in case of need, the St Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) should provide assistance for receiving patients and establish a medical cooperation if necessary.
This decision was made on Tuesday at a meeting attended by the Saint-Martin hospital center (HC) director, Roland Toussaint, the SMMC director, Kees Klarenbeek, the Chairman of the Saint-Martin HC medical commission, Louis Jeffry, his Sint Maarten colleague, Félix Holiday as well as the vice-president of the Collectivité Ramona Connor and the Sint Maarten Health Minister, Emil Lee.
Tuesday at the end of the afternoon, the Saint-Martin Hospital had moved all of its patients to the surgery and Ob/Gyn wards.
However, the medical service which has 24 beds was heavily damaged by the flames. It is now closed until further notice. Bothered by the smoke, the pediatric ward was also evacuated, but it should reopen its doors in the coming hours, or in other words, on Tuesday evening, indicated the press release.
The meeting with the Dutch side has helped to provide backup solutions in case of need. "Several avenues were explored, including the possibility of having a dedicated sector at the SMMC to accommodate French side patients, with medical care that would be provided by French side hospital center physicians. Thought has also been given to the social security coverage of French patients who would be treated in Sint Maarten, just like the possibility of having people on the scene to help French patients with their medical care", said Ramona Connor.
According to the Vice-President, the Dutch side authorities have been very cooperative. This cooperation effort was initiated as a preventive measure and in order to preserve the patients’ safety.
Caption (from left to right): Tony Pantophlet, Head of the patient care, Fenna Arnell, Director of the Department of public health of Sint Maarten, Félix Holiday, Head of the medical community of Sint Maarten, Emil Lee, Minister of Health, Kees Klarenbeek, Director of the SMMC, Ramona Connor, Vice-President of the Collectivité of Saint-Martin and Senior executive at the LCF hospital, Rolland Toussaint, Director of the LCF hospital and Louis Jeffry, Chairman of the HC Medical Commission.
