PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Diagnostic Center in Simpson Bay is currently under review by the Inspectorate of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (IVSA), with Acting Inspector-General Dr. Joe Alcalá investigating the operations of the clinic and its physicians, Dr. Michael Dennaoui and Dr. Danny Dennaoui.
The review appears aimed at determining whether the clinic is operating in compliance with applicable healthcare regulations and standards. However, questions have arisen regarding the manner in which inspections are being conducted, the frequency of visits to the clinic, and whether inspectors are complying with legal requirements governing their authority.
Under the National Ordinance regulating the Public Health Inspectorate (Landsverordening houdende regels inzake de Inspectie voor de Volksgezondheid), inspectors are required to carry official identification issued by the Minister of VSA when exercising supervisory duties. Article 12 stipulates that inspectors must immediately present their identification upon request. The identification card must contain a photograph, the official’s name, and official capacity.
According to Dr. Dennaoui Sr., these requirements were not observed during a recent visit by Alcalá and nurse Johnny Connor.
“They came around 10:00am, when the clinic was at its busiest,” Dennaoui said. “The waiting room was full of patients. They wanted to see me immediately. Connor I already knew because he had visited the clinic many times before, but I asked Dr. Alcalá who he was and he told me his name. We then went into a room to talk.”
Dennaoui said neither official presented identification.
The physician also questioned the role of Connor, whom he said has entered the clinic approximately a dozen times over the past three months without appointments. According to Dennaoui, Connor at one point allegedly remarked that “this clinic needs to be shut down.”
According to Dennaoui, the meeting with Alcalá began with questions about his personal health. “He started asking me about my health,” Dennaoui said. “I told him that was a personal matter. I am a physician and I know what medication I should take.”
The discussion then reportedly shifted to questions concerning the clinic’s operations.
Appointment by
Minister Brug
Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Richinel Brug announced Alcalá’s appointment on January 25, 2026, stating that he would assume the position of Interim Inspector-General effective February 2, 2026, for a period of two years.
In the announcement, Brug described the appointment as a significant step toward restoring effective oversight and enforcement after years during which the Inspectorate operated without a permanent Inspector-General.
The Minister highlighted Alcalá’s previous experience in Curaçao and described the appointment as part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening governance and enforcement within the Inspectorate.
Presence at
court hearing
The review of the Diagnostic Center is taking place against the backdrop of a separate criminal case involving Dr. Danny Dennaoui. During a pro forma hearing before the Court of First Instance on May 20, 2026, Dr. Joe Alcalá was the only spectator seated in the public gallery observing the
proceedings. The significance of his attendance has not been publicly explained.
Dr. Dennaoui, 30, has been held in pretrial detention at the Pointe Blanche prison for more than three months while prosecutors investigate allegations including deprivation of liberty (“kidnapping”), threats involving a firearm, violent robbery, theft, and suspected cocaine possession and money laundering.
Unanswered Questions
On May 25, 2026, "The Daily Herald" submitted written questions to Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Richinel Brug regarding both the presence of Acting Inspector-General Dr. Joe Alcalá at the May 20 court hearing and broader concerns about the appointment and functioning of the Inspectorate.
The Minister tendered his resignation on June 4 following the May 29 motion of no confidence against him in Parliament.
In its May 25 letters, "The Daily Herald" requested clarification on whether the Ministry was aware of Alcalá’s attendance at the court hearing, the purpose of his presence, and whether any coordination exists between the Prosecutor’s Office and the Inspectorate regarding the Dennaoui cases. The newspaper also asked whether any consideration is being given to restricting or suspending medical licences in relation to the ongoing investigations.
A second set of questions addressed the appointment of Dr. Joe Alcalá as Interim Inspector-General, including whether the Ministry reviewed public reporting from Curaçao concerning his earlier tenure in a supervisory role during which complaints against internist Dr. Nagy Bakir were filed in 2013 and later escalated.
The newspaper further asked what vetting procedures were used in his appointment, whether concerns raised in Curaçao were assessed, and what safeguards exist to ensure independent oversight under his leadership.
The Ministry of VSA and IVSA have not publicly addressed these questions at the time of publication.
