Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean
DossierKoninkrijksRelaties reported the following:
Long‑standing problems experienced by patients in the Caribbean Netherlands during medical referrals have still not been resolved, despite years of attention from National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen. This is why he conducted an investigation, the results of which were published today.
There are three main issues faced by residents of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba when they cannot receive treatment on their own island:
They are insufficiently informed about their referral, their needs receive too little attention, and the complaints procedure does not function properly.
Press release – National Ombudsman
Medical referrals: a long road
For residents of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius, much specialist medical care is not available locally. They must travel elsewhere to receive this care. This is called a medical referral and is arranged by the Directorate of Care and Youth Caribbean Netherlands (ZJCN) of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Research by the National Ombudsman shows that citizens from the Caribbean Netherlands experience problems in three main areas during their medical referral. They are insufficiently informed about their referral, their needs receive too little attention, and the complaints procedure does not function properly.
Complaints keep coming
For many years, the National Ombudsman has paid attention to the position of citizens in the Caribbean Netherlands when it comes to medical referrals. Yet he continues to receive complaints about how these referrals are handled. This prompted the investigation into the bottlenecks experienced by residents of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius during their medical referral.
A long road
Based on the experiences shared by citizens and healthcare professionals with the National Ombudsman, three main issues emerged:
Citizens are insufficiently informed
The information provided to citizens about both the practical and procedural aspects of a medical referral (before, during and after) must be improved. Citizens report that it takes a long time between their doctor’s referral and the actual referral. They have no insight into the status of their application, the further steps in the process, and they are informed late about their departure date. Rejections of medical referrals are insufficiently explained, and citizens are not always aware that they can file an objection against a rejection.
Too little attention to citizens’ needs
When assessing an application and arranging a medical referral, ZJCN takes too little account of the needs of citizens. Efficient and lawful execution of procedures is often the main priority. It is also difficult for citizens to reach a ZJCN employee who is in a position to provide tailored solutions. As a result, citizens often feel they are not taken seriously when they express their needs and concerns.
The complaints procedure does not function properly
Conversations show that many citizens do not dare to file a complaint. They feel too dependent on ZJCN and insecure in the relationship. In addition, citizens do not know how or where to submit a complaint. If they do manage to file one, they are dissatisfied with the handling of the complaint and the final outcome. Finally, citizens do not always receive a response to their complaint. There is an external complaints advisory committee, but its role in the complaints process is limited.
The National Ombudsman has made recommendations to ZJCN on all these points to improve the medical referral process for citizens.
Click here for the report (in Dutch)
