Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean
Ernst is already known for being an excellent diver and hiker. And a good cook, too. Now Ernst van Drumpt (72), from the Dutch village of Zelhem, is preparing for a new adventure: he’s set to run a hospital and care center in the Caribbean.
Van Drumpt starts his new job on August 1. He has signed a two-year contract and will be responsible for the overall management of the facility, as well as new construction for the clinic and care center. “It’s all very small-scale. We only have limited capacity, about fifteen beds.” For the first few weeks he’ll work remotely from Zelhem before relocating to Saba.
Van Drumpt has had a long career in healthcare, starting out as a 17-year-old nursing trainee. Later, he led the care organization Elver (formerly known as Fatima) in Nieuw-Wehl. He has also spent many years volunteering in healthcare in Suriname, and between 2018 and 2020 — before the pandemic — he carried out several healthcare projects on St. Eustatius, Saba’s neighboring island.
Written by Anneke Liebrand, De Gelderlander
