PHILIPSBURG - The Interisland Complaints Committee, which was established on September 1, is accepting complaints from persons using healthcare services.

 

The Committee was established to address complaints from patients and visitors of nine healthcare providers in St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius.

 

Complaints can be filed by sending an e-mail to the Committee at

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by contacting Complaints Committee Coordinator Hester ver Sleyen at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) at tel. 543-1111 ext 2503.

 

The committee has held two meetings since its establishment, including an introductory meeting with St. Maarten Public Health Inspector General Dr. Earl Best and the Inspectorate for the Caribbean Netherlands.

 

Healthcare providers committed to the Complaints Regulation are White and Yellow Cross, Mental Health Foundation (MHF), Care For You, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and Turning Point in St. Maarten; St. Eustatius Auxiliary Home Foundation and St. Eustatius Health Care Foundation; and Benevolent Foundation Saba and Saba Health Care Foundation.

 

The Complaints Committee was established to offer patients and clients of the healthcare services an opportunity to express any dissatisfaction they might have experienced in relation to the care and/or services provided by the participating healthcare providers. The focus of the Complaints Committee is that the complainant feels heard and the services are improved.

 

White and Yellow Cross Foundation and SMMC shared an independent complaints committee in previous years. The regulation has been significantly adjusted so that healthcare providers of all three islands can be included, Ver Sleyen said.

 

Committee members work on a voluntary basis and are appointed for a period of three years. Ver Sleyen said the Committee had received many reactions from persons interested in becoming committee members, after it publicised its formation. Members of the committee are Chairman Reuben Essed, St. Maarten medical professionals Dr. Menno Misset and Dionne Broere, member from Saba Hanneke Magee and member from Statia Granville Hassell.

 

“We are fully confident that the selected committee members will effectively handle complaints fairly and without bias. Persons who wish to lodge a complaint are urged, however, to first contact the respective healthcare provider to try to reach a solution,” Ver Sleyen said.

 

“If a solution cannot be found or the complainant is not comfortable addressing the issue with the complaint officer or management of the institution, the Complaints Committee is the next step.

 

With the establishment of the joint Complaints Committee we strive for a professional and smooth approach in resolving a complaint, in addition to meeting the legal requirements. We recognise that complaints can provide an opportunity to improve our services. As such we view the independent Complaints Committee as a vital part of our respective quality care systems.”