PHILIPSBURG, June 14 th , 2025 – On Thursday, June 5, the Honorable Richinel Brug
Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) was joined by a delegation
of stakeholders in St. John’s for an official site visit to the future location of St. Maarten’s
new mental health facility. The activity forms a major component of the Mental Health
Project being implemented by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) on behalf of
the Government of Sint Maarten. The main objective of this project is to improve the
capacity of mental health service delivery in Sint Maarten.
The delegation included representatives from the NRPB, the Ministry of Public Health,
Social Development and Labor (VSA), the Mental Health Foundation (MHF), engineering
firm Independent Consulting Engineers (ICE), engineering consultancy ILACO, the World
Bank and international design firm Politecnica.
The visit formed part of three days of introductions and technical sessions focused on
planning and early design work for the new facility.
Minister of VSA, Richinel Brug, together with the Director Claret Connor was present at the
visit. He expressed the ministry’s ongoing support for improving access to mental health
services on the island.
“This mental health project is one of my top priorities as Minister. As Ministry we are
committed to do everything on our side to ensure there are no further delays to this project.
I am pleased with the outcome of last week’s mission: stronger ties were forged with NRPB,
World Bank and all other stakeholders who are part of ensuring this project is a success.”
Ravin Patandin, director of ILACO, an engineering firm that will work closely with
Politecnica, outlined the importance of having local knowledge involved from the start.
“We’ve worked in Sint Maarten before and understand the local conditions. Our goal is to
support the design process in a way that makes implementation faster and more responsive
to the island’s infrastructure. When we design, we think about durability and low
maintenance. That’s especially important for places like St. Maarten, where there’s often
modest budgets for maintenance. I am working to ensure the facility will be something that
can stand strong for the next 30 or 40 years.”
Politecnica, an Italian design firm experienced in healthcare and infrastructure, selected
through a competitive bidding process, will lead the detailed design of St. Maarten’s new
mental health facility along with local and community input. The firm has experience with
working on global projects including in Guyana and Belize in the Caribbean. Architect
Claudia Romero from Politecnica described the design process as collaborative and
focused on local needs.
“It’s encouraging to see the ministry and local partners involved so early, including during
site visits. That kind of engagement is not common. Mental health is a shared challenge,
and these collaborations will ensure we can design a truly suitable space. With over 30
years in healthcare design and a partnership with ILACO, we are bringing both international
and regional experience to support the success of this facility. We’re fully committed to
delivering a facility that will support both mental and physical health. We believe this project
will benefit the whole community.”
Erika van der Horst, secretary of the MHF Board, said the new building will help improve
both care and working conditions.
“We’re excited that the project is moving ahead with the design phase and soon with
construction. It’s encouraging to see strong cooperation between the government and
stakeholders, working together to strengthen mental health care. We hope that having a
modern, welcoming facility will help reduce stigma and make it easier for people to seek
support. For staff, it will be a major relief to work in a proper space, which also means better
safety for both staff and patients. The new facility will significantly improve the quality of
care we provide and support the direction we’re heading in.”
Groundbreaking for the new Mental Health Facility is scheduled for 2026, with completion
expected in 2027. The Mental Health Project is implemented by the NRPB on behalf of the
Government of Sint Maarten. It is funded by the Sint Maarten Trust Fund which is financed
by the Government of the Netherlands and managed by the World Bank.