Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever on Friday, August 22, 2014 signed a partnership commitment between Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin to collaborate on the ‘Health Observatory’.
“This is really a very important step as an island working jointly towards the needs of the island,” said Minister De Weever.
Considering St. Maarten’s small scale and the fact that many people live, work as well as make use of medical services on both sides of the island, to get a clear descriptive picture of the general health status of the general adult population it is of utter importance to, this time around, execute the Health Study on both sides of the island. This will provide more current reliable data as well as bring forth a more accurate picture for the planning of policies and programs and identifying where healthcare changes and education/awareness is necessary.
The purpose of the ‘Health Observatory’ is to improve general health and well-being of the population, therefore the collaboration on public health related matters. This observatory will facilitate future endeavors between both sides of the island. A project has already been identified, which will be executed by the ‘Health Observatory’, consisting of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labor, the Collectivite and the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital, this is the ‘How Healthy is St. Maarten/Saint Martin’ study.
