Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean
St. Maarten’s Prime Minister Luc Mercelina has discussed cooperation on a new mental health facility that will serve St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius during meetings with Dutch officials in The Hague.
He also discussed preparations for the upcoming Kingdom Summit. During his working visit to the Netherlands on Monday, Mercelina met with officials at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, Council of State Vice-President Sybrand van Haersma Buma, and Director-General for Kingdom Relations Barbera Wolfensberger.
At the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, Mercelina met with Herbert Barnard, Director of Healthcare and Youth for the Caribbean Netherlands. Their discussions focused on exchanging expertise, developing institutional partnerships and strengthening mental healthcare services.
The new facility is being financed through the St. Maarten Trust Fund, with support from the World Bank, and is being implemented by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB). The discussions explored opportunities to strengthen partnerships and knowledge-sharing to help ensure the facility provides accessible, quality and sustainable mental healthcare services for residents of all three islands.
“Mental health is an essential component of overall health and wellbeing. Every person deserves access to compassionate, quality care close to home. Through cooperation and the sharing of expertise, we are working to strengthen mental healthcare services and create lasting benefits for current and future generations throughout the region,” Mercelina stated.
Mercelina also met with Van Haersma Buma to discuss developments within the Kingdom, the importance of dialogue among the four countries and preparations for the upcoming Kingdom Summit.
Their discussions covered cooperation on issues affecting citizens, including access to quality education and healthcare, public safety and security. Mercelina said the future of Kingdom cooperation should recognise the individual strengths and perspectives of each country, rather than focusing only on their similarities. “The Kingdom functions best when we engage openly, listen carefully to one another, and work together to address shared challenges. However, the future of the Kingdom should not be based only on our similarities. The strength of the Kingdom also lies in our differences and in the unique contributions that each country brings. St. Maarten’s position is that the countries of the Kingdom should be co-owners of our shared future, not merely stakeholders in it,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the Kingdom Summit provides an opportunity to strengthen that sense of shared ownership while improving education, healthcare, safety and opportunities for citizens.
His engagements with the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary focused on coordinating St. Maarten’s representation in the Netherlands and ensuring that ongoing initiatives remain aligned with the government’s priorities.
During a subsequent meeting with Wolfensberger, discussions continued on preparations for the Kingdom Summit, cooperation among the countries and progress on the new mental health facility.
Mercelina said the discussions must ultimately lead to practical benefits for the people of St. Maarten. The Prime Minister is accompanied on the working visit by Secretary-General Abel Knottnerus and Chief of Staff Stuart Johnson. Minister Plenipotentiary Gracita Arrindell participated in relevant engagements throughout the programme.
The Daily Herald.
