WILLEMSTAD - A total of 1500 healthcare professionals have been successfully trained in the Caribbean region thanks to a collaboration between AmstelAcademie, Dutch Caribbean Hospital Alliance (DCHA), and the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS). 

This achievement marks an important milestone in improving the quality of care on the islands, according to those involved. Additionally, the hospital trainers have formulated various future plans to make the collaboration sustainable. 

Since 2021, trainers from hospitals and medical centers in Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Saba have joined forces. Thanks to subsidies from the Ministry of VWS and the cooperation with AmstelAcademie and DCHA, advanced healthcare training has become possible. 

This fund was specifically reserved for training in acute care, so the islands are better prepared for crisis situations, such as a pandemic. The project, known as Caribbean Health Academy (CARIBHA), has trained 1500 healthcare professionals in clinical reasoning and specialized nursing, including emergency care, ICU, CCU, diabetes, and anesthesia. 

The successful collaboration between hospital trainers in the CAS-BES region led to a physical meeting to evaluate the current cooperation, celebrate successes, and discuss future collaborations. 

Fundashon Mariadal Bonaire (FM) provided its hospital for this meeting, and Horacio Oduber Hospital Aruba (HOH) was responsible for organizing the intensive sessions. 

Over two days, AmstelAcademie held evaluation and inspiration sessions, followed by a strategic and vision session organized by HOH. Together, the trainers evaluated the training needs for the coming years to obtain cost-saving courses and maintain the connection between the islands. Additionally, the trainers gave presentations on educational developments on their islands to inspire others.