PHILIPSBURG--United People’s party (UP) Member of Parliament (MP) Omar Ottley said the law governing Social and Health Insurances SZV referrals should be changed because it currently allows SZV to legally refer patients only to Curaçao.
Otltey made the remarks following concerns raised by Party for Progress (PFP) MP Ludmila de Weever about patients being refered to Curaçao but ultimately being sent for medical care elsewhere.
De Weever raised concerns about the frustration people experience when seeking medical care. She referred to cases in which patients are told by doctors in Sint Maarten that a procedure cannot be performed locally and that they will be sent to Curaçao, only for their eventual treatment to take place in Colombia.
She questioned why patients are being advised to go to Curaçao if they ultimately end up receiving care somewhere else. De Weever said the situation is causing frustration among people who are already facing delays in obtaining medical care.
Ottley made an interruption and responded that the issue was connected to the legislation governing SZV referrals. He said SZV is legally allowed to refer patients only to Curaçao under the current legislation.
Ottley explained that this was why he had repeatedly raised questions about SZV and had pressed the former Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA Minister to continue working on an amendment to change the law.
He said the current legislation could also result in negative findings during an SZV audit process when referrals are made outside Curaçao, even when they are made on humanitarian grounds.
Ottley urged the new VSA Minister Claret Connor to review the proposed amendment and push the legislation forward so that the referral rules can be changed.
