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Ministers Of Vromi And Vsa Questioned On Roof Repair Program.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten, — Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams has requested Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, the Honorable Mr. Christopher Emmanuel and Minister of Health Care, Social Development & Labor, the Honorable Mr Read more

Rotary Club Of Sint Maarten Accepts Donation From Nagico

-Sponsors Medical Conference for the Third Year -FREE PUBLIC MEETING ON CANCER PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – August 28, 2017 – The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten proudly accepted a large donation from NAGICO Insurances in support of the upcoming Oncology (Cancer) Conference. The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten, in conjunction with the Windward Islands Medical Association, will be holding a conference for medical professionals on the state of Cancer and care/treatment on St Read more

Smmc Hosts Appreciation Celebration Event For Oncology Patients

CAYHILL- On Saturday August 5th, the SMMC hosted an appreciation celebration event for their heroes, current and former oncology patients. The theme of the event was an ‘Appreciation Celebration; Surviving the Odds’.

The purpose of this celebration was to commemorate their patients and all that they have overcome. A small team of the Outpatient department felt a great need to celebrate their patients by involving all those that they have helped along the journey. The preparations for this event begun earlier in the year, with the initial idea brought forth almost two years previously.

Coincidentally, this year marks 20 years since the hospital first started oncology treatments for patients in need Read more

Minister Lee: Working To Ensure That The Health Of The Population Is Well Protected

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Emil Lee addressed members of the media in Wednesday’s, June 21, Council of Ministers Press Briefing.

He first addressed some confusion in the public about the water situation, “so I thought it’d be good to try and recap and give a little bit more clarity on the situation.”

“Number 1, the Inspectorate last night issued a press release announcing that they would be intensifying their supervision of drinking water, and that’s a release that the media should have already, so there are some points that I’m going to elaborate on a bit,” Minister Lee began.

“For the public information, the water that is distributed via GEBE is water that’s produced by a process called reverse osmosis Read more

Ambulance Department Inaugurates Two New Ambulances Equipped With Power Pro Hydraulic Cot Stretchers & Loading System

CAYHILL, Sint Maarten —  In the continuing effort to further professionalize the operations of the Ambulance Department of Ministry VSA and to equip our ambulances with the latest Emergency Medical Services (EMS) innovations on St. Maarten, two new fully equipped ambulances with the Power Pro Hydraulic Stretchers & Loading System were commissioned by Minister Emil Lee last week.

“The Ministry of VSA continues to make investments to improve the quality of care delivered to the people of St Read more

Minister Lee: Public Health Not At Risk

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Emil Lee in Wednesday’s, June 14, Council of Ministers Press Briefing first addressed the issue of possible contamination of the drinking water in St. Maarten after a statement was made by the Inspectorate.

“Indeed some hotels on the island have tested positive for Legionella, which can happen based on various causes Read more

Mark Your Calendar For The Next Breast Abnormalities Screening For June 24

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Saturday, June 17, marked the first day of a two-year breast abnormalities screening survey where 23 women participated in the screening.

The women took the opportunity to pass by the Vineyard Office Park Building in Philipsburg at the Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a department in the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA), to take part in the survey.

“Congratulation to the women who came out and who have already registered to pass by during theSaturday screenings.  I compliment them for their participation as this is a very important screening for women’s health.

“Minister of Public Health Emil Lee and the Acting Secretary General of Ministry VSA Joy Arnell also visited the screening activity on Saturday.

“I am reminding women to mark their calendar for next Saturday and come out and contribute to the breast health screening survey.  With the information that is gathered, we will be able to develop additional intervention strategies,” Dr Read more

Minister Lee: Sharing Best And Worst Practices

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Emil Lee addressed the media in Wednesday’s, June 7, Council of Ministers Press Briefing.

He made a brief statement about the “Taste of the Caribbean” this past week, which is a CHTA event in Miami. Florida, which is their chief or Caribbean hospitality industry exchange forum Read more

Minister Lee On Mosquito Squad Pilot Project

PHILIPSBURG – Minister Public Health, Social Development, and Labor Emil Lee addressed the press in Wednesday’s, May 17, Council of Ministers Press Briefing.

He praised the work of the CPS Department, and stated that after having meetings about environmental health last week, “We expect a report to be produced in terms of how the different ministries can cooperate and in particular what the role and function of the Ministry of VSA is in terms of making sure that our environment is a healthy environment.”

He also announced that next Monday, his Ministry and CPS will launch a “Mosquito Squad,” which is a pilot project Read more

Workshop On Environmental Health Informative And Productive

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – “As Ministry responsible for Health, the Ministry of VSA (Public Health, Social Development and Labour) is constantly dealing with health complaints that are the result of Environmental pollution such as running septic water, air pollution such as at the Leonard Connor school and the dump.

“Dr. Virginia Asin of CPS or collective preventative services, a department of Ministry of VSA, took the initiative to organize a very candid and productive workshop.  As a result of the workshop, we are expecting a report with actionable steps to be produced on short notice with the input of various stakeholders.

“This report will make multi-ministerial recommendations on how to protect the health of the people by structurally tackling Environmental health.  Naturally, the emphasis will be on prevention,” stated Minister of Public Health Emil Lee.

During the workshops, there were several discussions about the role of VSA and other ministries Read more

El Ministerio De Salud Abordará La Salud Pública Y Su Relación Con El Medio Ambiente

FOTO: Ministro de Salud, Asuntos Sociales y Trabajo Emil Lee

Traducido por Máximo Castro

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM). – El Departamento de Servicios de Prevención Colectiva (CPS), dependiente del Ministerio de Salud Pública, Desarrollo Social y Trabajo (Ministerio VSA), ha iniciado el proceso de diálogo para poder Read more

Ministry Of Health Addressing Public Health Related To The Environment

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Department of Collective Prevention Services (CPS) which falls under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA), has initiated the dialogue process in order to be able to address public health aspects related to the surrounding environment.

Starting on May 8, a representative from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Office of Caribbean Program Coordination, Ton Vlugman, Senior Advisor, Water, Sanitation and Environmental Health, will be hosting a two-day workshop for public and private sector stakeholders.

The general stakeholder’s workshop will include a presentation about the concept of Environmental Health within the scope of sustainable development; and a focus on an Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy.

The objective of the workshop as well as the steps to be taken thereafter is to allow the Ministry of Public Health to be able to address the public health aspects surrounding the environment in a timely manner along with ministerial partners and other relevant key stakeholders on environmental health matters.

“While the Ministry of VROMI works on their Integrated Waste Management plan, some of the conclusions from this workshop will assist VROMI in setting standards and parameters for air quality and pollution that will be incorporated in the terms of reference for the Integrated Waste Management plans and any interim solution,” stated Minister Emil Lee.

There will also be field visits to the landfills on the Dutch and French sides where information related to the waste collection systems and recycling programs will be collected.

Part of the planning includes the development of a “Public Health Plan on Integrated Waste Management” within the realm of Social Determinants of Health, Primary Environmental Health Care.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that outdoor and indoor air pollution kill 6.5 million people on an annual basis, making polluted air the most deadly consequences of environmental degradation.

“Air pollution is one of the most pernicious threats to health because it is so pervasive Read more

Vwa Concludes Saturday As Preps Get Underway For Vaccination Open House In May And June

 

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) which kicked off onSaturday, April 22, concludes on Saturday, April 29.

VWA did not go un-noticed in Sint Maarten, as Minister of Public Health Emil Lee received promotional materials from the local VWA Committee to signify the support of the country wi Read more

Minister Emmanuel Not Distracted By False Information

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of VROMI Christophe Emmanuel gave a short status update to members of the press in Wednesday’s, April 19, Council of Ministers Press briefing.

In regard to the proposed housing development in Dawn Beach, representatives “will be here in May. They will give a full rundown.”

“I received an email from them today stating that they will be signing the agreement, and going over all the paperwork with the landowner, contracts with the developer. I think that part of it is for them to explain how they’re going to move forward with it when I was in Curaçao,” Minister Emmanuel informed.

“Everything was set and is in motion concerning the 167 homes that are supposed to be built in the Dawn Beach area,” he said.

Concerning the explosive letter that was printed in the media, the Minister said, “That’s just what it is for me Read more

Minister Lee Asks Media To Provide Quality, Unbiased Information To Public

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Emil Lee addressed the media in Wednesday’s, April 19, Council of Ministers Press Briefing.

He first reported on his trip to Holland. “The purpose for the visit was to discuss the developments with the hospital. The fact that the hospital project is now back on track, we are again looking at exploring the possibility of financial support from Holland,” Minister Lee informed.

“The reason being, although we’re accessing funds locally to begin the project, fact is that if we can access funds directly via Holland because of the lower interest rate and because of a different payment terms, this would result in a savings operationally for the new hospital of between 3-5 million guilders a year, and I believe that anything we can do to save money operationally is money that can be better spent on health care rather than paying into financing charges,” the Minister informed.

According to the Minister, the “Kingdom Council of Ministers will make a recommendation that the funding for the hospital project be considered outside of the normal lending procedures.”

The other purpose for the Holland trip was to speak about legislative assistance Read more

It’S Just A Smokescreen To Cover The Real Con Man

Dear Minister of VROMI,

Employees representing TelEm and GEBE took note of a project to be constructed in Dawn Beach. Nothing wrong with that as the Herald applauded.

The monthly mortgage payments are 1,530 guilders, for a one-bedroom home and 2,070 guilders for a two-bedroom home. This deal is brokered between the Minister and a private land owner. The Minister of Public Housing today is in Curaçao to negotiate financing with the taxpayer’s money on behalf of a private land owner.

The article states that soon the Minister will introduce the private land owner to Vidanova, the pension funds financier Read more

Com Meets With Full Complement Of Ministers Last Tuesday

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication, Mellissa Arrindell-Doncher, joined her colleague Ministers in her first Council of Ministers meeting on Tuesday, April 4.

The meeting was adjourned for the Ministers to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Minister Arrindell-Doncher and resumed after.

At the onset, Minister co-signed her first national decree which contained the so-called ‘vervangingsregeling’, which regulates which minister replaces another minister when he / she is unable to execute his / her responsibilities; this can, for example, be related to illness, travel on behalf of government, or vacation.

With a complete Council of Ministers consisting of seven ministers, the replacement overview is now as follows:

Prime Minister / Minister of General Affairs, Mr Read more

Urgent Session Of Parliament About Current State Of Affairs

PHILIPSBURG – The House of Parliament will sit in an urgent plenary public session on Friday, March 31.

The Minister Public Health, Social Development and of Labor Emil Lee will be present. The urgent plenary public meeting, which was requested by Members of Parliament (MP) Franklin A. Meyers, Tamara E. Leonard, Siddharth M. Bijlani, Theodore E Read more

Home Repair Program Finally Operational

PHILIPSBURG – “I am so happy to see this program finally become operational. It has been heartbreaking to have people come to my office looking for assistance to make their homes habitable and not have a mechanism in place to help our elderly in desperate need of assistance. With this program, we have allocated some limited resources to help elderly and disabled that need some minor repairs to their homes to make their homes decent and livable,” stated Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Emil Lee.

“I would like to commend the Department of Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs (CFDHA) for making this initiative possible Read more

Vsa Celebrates World Oral Health Day

PHILIPSBURG – Taking care of your oral health has a positive impact on your general health and well-being, helping you live a better quality of life into old age.

Oral health is much more than a nice smile. Oral disease can affect every aspect of your life, including your ability to perform basic functions. An unhealthy mouth, for example, if you have gum disease, can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, pancreatic cancers and pneumonia.

“Therefore, it is important for everyone to practice good oral hygiene,” stated Minister of Health Emil Lee in commemoration of World Oral Health Day.

During the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday, March 22, Minister Lee encouraged the community to get involved Read more

Minister Lee: We Are Taking Compliance Seriously

PHILIPSBURG – In Wednesday’s, March 15, Council of Ministers Press Briefing, Minister of Health, Labor, and Social Affairs Emil Lee elaborated on the controls his Ministry conducted on businesses on the Dutch side last Friday.

“We conducted a multi-disciplinary control. This was a multi-ministerial cooperation. The team that went out last Friday comprised of Inspectors from Labor, the Ministry of VSA, labor inspectors with the assistance of the Ministry of Finance, tax inspectors with the assistance of the Ministry of Justice, immigration officers as well as representatives from SVB,” Minister Lee stated.

This included cooperation with other departments like VROMI, which is in the process of helping to produce a detailed map of the Dutch, “so that we can literally map out a door to door campaign in terms of how we’re moving forward with compliance.”

Minister Lee clarified that contrary to statements in the media, that businesses had been closed, “I want to state for the record that we did not close any businesses Read more

Multi-Ministerial Inspections Target Increased Compliance

PHILIPSBURG – Last Friday, March 10, a multi-disciplinary control was conducted by inspectors from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) with the assistance of the Ministry of Finance’s Tax inspectors, Ministry of Justice’s Immigration officers, representatives from SZV as well as close cooperation with the representatives from the Ministry of VROMI.

At Wednesday’s, March 15, press briefing Minister of VSA Emil Lee commended the team who carried out the inspections last Friday for their hard work and enthusiasm throughout the day Read more

Minister Lee: We’Re Searching For The ‘Goldilocks Solution’

PHILIPSBURG – In Wednesday’s, March 8, Council of Ministers Weekly Press Briefing, Minister of Health, Social Affairs and Labour Emil Lee clarified a number of issues including the statement of the Minister of Finance regarding progress on a National Health Insurance (NHI).

“While certainly the process of having legislation approved by parliament is the culmination of the efforts, I think it’s important to recognize that a reform of our health care system or national health insurance is a complicated process, and we need time to work together with stakeholders to make sure that everybody’s concerns and feedback is incorporated Read more

Parliament’S Right To Question Government

One of Parliament’s roles is to supervise the functioning of government. And one of its tools to carry out this supervisory function is the right to ask questions as laid down in article 62 of the Constitution.

This entails parliamentarians submitting their queries in writing to the government via the President of Parliament. Article 63 of the Constitution mentions that a Member of Parliament may also invite the ministers to provide information. Article 62 of the Rules of Order of Parliament states that this invitation will be considered by the President of Parliament, if it is supported by at least one other member of parliament Read more