Member of Parliament Hendrik Tevreden reaffirms his commitment to one of the most crucial topics for our community: the future of healthcare in Aruba and the need to continue strengthening our medical system.
Recently, in his role as a member of the Permanent Committee on Healthcare, MP Tevreden visited the Instituto Medico San Nicolas (ImSan) to observe firsthand the developments the institution has achieved in recent years.
Tevreden highlighted that ImSan is not simply an ordinary medical center. It is an institution that has achieved something many hospitals in our region have not yet accomplished: the prestigious accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI), globally considered the highest standard in healthcare quality and safety. For the MP, this international certification was neither a gift nor a political favor, but rather the direct result of years of hard work, solid leadership, strategic investments, and a deep commitment to quality.
This visit led the MP to reflect on several key questions:
Now that ImSan has reached this level, what further steps can be taken to strengthen its contribution to our healthcare system?
Are there administrative barriers and/or limitations in financing?
Are there strategic decisions that AZV (General Health Insurance) can make to allow ImSan to expand its services and help relieve pressure on other institutions?
HOH-ImSan Fusion: Facts, challenges, and the need for dialogue
The proposal for a merger between HOH (Horacio Oduber Hospital) and ImSan has generated a debate that is necessary for our democracy. However, before reaching any conclusions, we must analyze the facts and evaluate the performance, successes, and current challenges of our healthcare system. For this, it is crucial to know the government’s vision for public health regarding both ImSan and HOH.
Over the years, the people of Aruba have invested millions of florins in our national hospital. However, concerns regularly arise regarding operational costs, staff shortages, waiting lists, financial pressure, and the status of projects that have yet to be completed. This does not mean things are going poorly, but rather that asking questions is necessary to seek improvement. For this reason, Tevreden presented a series of questions to the Minister of Public Health and formally requested that the Permanent Committee on Healthcare organize a meeting with the board of HOH. The MP emphasized that the objective is not a protocol visit, but an open and transparent conversation about the challenges and opportunities the hospital faces.
Conclusion
Transparency is an obligation. The people of Aruba have the right to know how our health institutions function, how public resources are invested, and what the vision for the future is. Tevreden emphasized that this debate is not a fight between HOH and ImSan, nor a competition between Oranjestad and San Nicolas. The focus must be on a much more important question: how can we improve and build the best healthcare system for Aruba?
If collaboration, coordination, or technology is required, let us use them. But all decisions must be based on evidence, results, and the interest of the patient, not on emotion or politics. In the end, the patient is not interested in who wins an institutional debate. The patient wants to know that when they or their family need care, it is accessible, safe, fast, and of high quality. It is precisely to achieve that, that we must have a clear vision, continue to innovate, and continue to demand transparency from institutions so they function in the best possible way for our citizens.