Dutch Parliament raises concerns over medical referrals in the Caribbean

WILLEMSTAD - The Dutch House of Representatives recently voiced concerns about the slow process and high costs of medical referrals in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, including Curaçao. During a debate in the Health, Welfare, and Sports Committee, several parties, including GroenLinks-PvdA, emphasized the need for a faster and more efficient referral process. 

MP Elke Slagt-Tichelman (GroenLinks-PvdA) highlighted that patients often have to travel unnecessarily long distances for treatment, citing examples of people spending up to three days traveling to Colombia for medical care. 

A major point of discussion during the debate was the financial burden on Curaçao, especially for uninsured patients referred to the island from other Caribbean territories. Slagt-Tichelman noted that Curaçao spends around 7 million guilders annually on treating uninsured patients and called for more solidarity from the Netherlands in addressing this issue. 

Secretary of State for Health, Vincent Karremans (VVD), expressed openness to considering financial support requests but stressed that the Netherlands is already purchasing healthcare services on Curaçao. 

Karremans also announced plans to visit the Caribbean islands in February to speak with residents about their experiences with the healthcare system and explore potential improvements.




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