Kralendijk – Commissioner Den Heyer, along with the healthcare commissioners of Sint Eustatius and Saba, will meet with residents on their islands on September 26 and 27 to discuss complaints about healthcare services.

The meetings, called ‘Konta mi’, will be held on September 26, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Jong Bonaire in Playa and on September 27, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Cocari in Rincon. 

The purpose is to gather information about healthcare complaints. The BES islands will later inform the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS) about the results. Commissioners Clark Abraham and Anjelica Cicilia will also be present at the ‘Konta mi’ healthcare discussions.

The three BES island commissioners have decided to gather citizens’ complaints on their respective islands. “We know citizens have complaints, but so far, few people have reported them to the healthcare organizations. If we want to improve healthcare on the islands, VWS needs proof of what is going wrong and where. We want to hear directly from the citizens about the issues they face or have faced,” says Den Heyer.

The healthcare commissioners of the BES islands have been working together for some time. On Bonaire, the Island Council passed a motion in October 2023 to investigate the quality of healthcare on the island. Den Heyer hopes that these discussions with citizens will provide a clearer picture of the problems and possible solutions in healthcare.

Register

Residents can sign up to participate in the ‘Konta mi’ healthcare discussions via kontami@bonairegov.com. When registering, they must provide their name and specify which branch of healthcare their complaint is about.