WILLEMSTAD - Hundreds of people have volunteered in the Netherlands to help with corona care and vaccinations in Curaçao. Through the "Extra Hands for Care" initiative, a team of 40 people, including doctors, nurses and support staff, has been put together. They are expected to depart from Schiphol to Curaçao on Friday.

On Sunday, 350 applications were already received, reports the partnership, which set up the aid at the request of the Ministry of Health. “It is heartening that so many people are willing to leave immediately. These are all people with a care heart,” says a spokeswoman for the RegioPlus care network. The Dutch team will probably help both in the hospital and with the corona vaccinations on Curaçao. The exact activities depend on what is most locally needed.

Last weekend, twenty doctors and nurses also left from the Netherlands to support their colleagues in Curaçao. More will be added during the week. “When we saw the reports from Curaçao, we knew we could help,” says project leader Saskia Wooning. "We did not hesitate for a moment and immediately sent a call to the people on file on Friday evening."