CAY HILL--In light of the decreased number of COVID-19 admissions, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) says it will resume elective procedures starting today, Monday, February 7.
Appointments that were cancelled due to COVID-19 and urgent appointments will be given preference over new, non-urgent appointments and thus may result in a longer waiting list for new appointments, SMMC stated in a press release.
SMMC urges only persons with appointments, medically indicated companions, parents of minors and translators to enter the hospital and must follow SMMC’s prevailing safety protocols.
SMMC also reminds the public that patient visiting hours are still suspended. Persons with friends or family admitted to SMMC are asked to make use of text messages and phone and video calls where possible to keep in touch with their loved ones. Persons wishing to receive an update on a patient must contact the patient’s emergency contact (which is typically a spouse or immediate family member) as SMMC does not provide patient information to third parties in an effort to protect and uphold patient confidentiality and their patients’ right to privacy.
As it pertains to the rendering of services at the Emergency Room (ER), SMMC said it has noticed a spike in persons coming to the ER for non-urgent medical care which should be administered by their general practitioner (GP).
SMMC reiterate that persons should contact their GP by phone prior, follow their instructions and inform themselves of what constitutes an emergency. This is in an effort to reduce the amount of basic and non-urgent medical care given at the ER thus allowing ER staff the time and resources to handle urgent care.
The hospital has produced a video about this topic which can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH7q5HwirUI
SMMC apologised for any inconvenience this may cause and thanks the public for their cooperation as they provide quality care close to home while keeping their staff and patients safe.
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/smmc-resumes-elective-procedures-today-mon
