WILLEMSTAD – Minister of Health, Environment and Nature Tyron Boekhoudt has officially handed over patient lifts to four healthcare institutions in Curaçao as part of an initiative aimed at improving safety for both patients and care workers.
The equipment was provided to Betesda, Hamïed, Birgen di Rosario and Kas Hugenholtz in cooperation with the Social Insurance Bank (SVB).
Boekhoudt personally visited the four institutions on Thursday for the official handover. According to the Ministry of Health, Environment and Nature (GMN), the lifts were made available at the minister's initiative and as a gesture of appreciation for the work performed by the institutions and their employees.
Patient lifts are used to safely move people with limited mobility, including transferring patients between beds, wheelchairs and other locations. Besides improving comfort and safety for patients, the equipment can reduce the physical strain placed on healthcare workers who regularly have to assist patients with limited mobility.
During the visits, Boekhoudt stressed that improving healthcare requires more than policies and financial resources and should also include practical assistance for professionals working directly with patients.
“Our healthcare workers dedicate themselves every day to people who depend on their care,” Boekhoudt said. “When we can contribute in a concrete way to a safer working environment for staff while at the same time providing greater comfort and safety for patients, we should do so.”
According to the minister, patient lifts may appear to be relatively straightforward pieces of equipment, but they can make an important difference in everyday care.
Boekhoudt also used his visits to speak with management and employees at the four institutions about their work and to express his appreciation for their daily contribution to Curaçao's healthcare sector.
GMN said the initiative underscores the importance of continuing to improve the circumstances in which both patients and healthcare professionals receive support.
The ministry described investment in healthcare as ultimately an investment in people.