WILLEMSTAD — From the answers of Minister Ab Klink (Public Health, Welfare, and Sports, CDA) on questions from the Lower Chamber member Ineke van Gent (GroenLinks), it appears that he has complete confidence that the Antilles and Aruba acquit themselves well in their responsibility regarding the (pre)cautionary measures against the Mexican flu, the New Influenza A H1NI. If necessary, the Netherlands will offer additional assistance upon official request on top of the current cooperation.
Kink, who ‘on behalf of the State Secretary Ank Bijleveld-Schouten (Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations, CDA) also answers the questions’, maintains July 27th and August 10th, 2009 as reference date.
Per July 27th, Aruba announced 36 confirmed H1N1-cases. Per August 10th the total in the Antilles amounted to 88 confirmed cases: Curaçao 43, St. Maarten 16, Bonaire 28, St. Eustatius 1, and Saba 0.
Klink emphasizes that the public health is an entire own authority of the Netherlands Antilles as well as of Aruba, for which his Caribbean colleagues bear complete responsibility.
Preparedness
"I understood from my colleagues that the following measures have been taken", Klink continues. "There is an Influenza Preparedness Group on all island territories in which all relevant actors participate. In addition, the family doctors of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba have been informed of the information with regard to the so-called case-definition and the treatment protocols. On all island territories, the public health nurses and the family doctors have been trained to take throat/nose swabs for laboratory research. Furthermore, an obligated report (notification obligation) by the family doctors has been confirmed in writing by the Inspection for the Public Health in anticipation of the coming into force of a Land Regulation Kept General Measures, which is currently in the completion phase. Upon request, the island territories of the Netherlands Antilles will receive direct support from the national epidemiologist, and the National Crisis Center in the Netherlands will be kept abreast on the status of affairs in the Antilles through the Directorate Public Health. Aruba requests advice from the Pan-American Health Organization (Paho) and the regional office in Trinidad (Cared).
Finally, I have arranged that one thousand cures of the antiviral medication Tamiflu are available for the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. The ordered vaccinations will also be made available to the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
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