This morning a KLM flight to Curaçao left with a large load of medical equipment, medicines and protective equipment for Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

With all the items, a total of 30 extra ICU ventilation points can be realized for COVID-19 patients. It concerns 12 places on Aruba, 12 places on Curaçao and 6 places on Bonaire.

The additional Intensive Care (IC) places are intended for patients from all islands of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. If necessary, patients can be transported between the islands using additional air ambulances.

The Netherlands supports health care in the three Caribbean countries within the Kingdom (Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten) and the islands of the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba) to increase the medical capacity for COVID-19 care as quickly as possible. .

Tangible results

“A lot of hard work took place on both sides of the ocean to get these items on the plane today”, said State Secretary Paul Blockhuis. “The local hospitals can not only prepare 30 additional IC respiration stations technically, but also provide the care that is needed with medicines and protective equipment”.

Blokhuis said that he and his fellow cabinet members in the Caribbean, his colleague Raymond Knops from Kingdom Relations and he himself worked together more intensively than ever before.

“Today we see a very tangible result that will help the residents of all islands. We will of course continue to work hard on everything else that is and may be needed”, said Blokhuis.

Additional medical personnel
Additional medical personnel are also required to strengthen medical capacity. Agreements for this are also made for an international company that dispatches medical personnel for Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. The first team of doctors and nurses to be deployed in this way started work on Sint Maarten this week.

Last week a medical transport from the Netherlands with medicines, protective equipment and equipment for 12 additional IC breathing places arrived on Sint Maarten. Those places have now been installed.