The visit provided an important opportunity for local healthcare professionals, government representatives and the DCHA delegation to exchange information, discuss the realities of healthcare delivery on Saba, and identify opportunities to strengthen cooperation across the Dutch Caribbean.
Strengthening Healthcare Through Regional Cooperation
The DCHA is a collaborative alliance consisting of the general hospitals in Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Bonaire, as well as the medical centers on Sint Eustatius and Saba. Since its establishment in 2022, the alliance has focused on strengthening healthcare across the region through collaboration, knowledge sharing, economies of scale and increased regional capacity.
For Saba, regional cooperation is particularly important due to the island’s small population and geographic location. While Saba has dedicated healthcare professionals who provide a broad range of services locally, certain specialized and complex forms of care are not available on the island and require patients to travel to another island or outside the region.
During the visit, the DCHA delegation gained first-hand insight into the challenges faced by healthcare professionals on Saba and the practical realities of providing care in a small island community.
Access to Care Remains a Key Priority
One of the central topics discussed was access to specialized and acute care.
For patients on Saba who require care that is not available locally, accessing treatment can involve air or sea transportation, coordination with specialists and hospitals on other islands, availability of beds and, in some circumstances, suitable weather conditions.
This makes effective communication and cooperation between healthcare providers across the islands essential.
The discussions emphasized the importance of healthcare professionals knowing where expertise and capacity are available within the region, as well as having clear lines of communication and referral processes in place before an emergency occurs.
Areas for Increased Collaboration
The DCHA has identified several areas in which greater regional cooperation can strengthen healthcare services. These include:
- improving access to specialized and acute care;
- strengthening education and training opportunities for healthcare professionals;
- improving regional procurement and resource management;
- expanding telehealth and telemedicine;
- improving coordination of patient referrals;
- sharing knowledge, expertise and available capacity; and
- exploring opportunities to concentrate highly complex care within the region.
For Saba, initiatives such as telemedicine, improved referral coordination, and stronger regional networks can provide significant added value by connecting local healthcare professionals and patients with specialized expertise elsewhere.
A Shared Responsibility
The discussions also highlighted that strengthening healthcare in the Dutch Caribbean requires the involvement of multiple partners, including governments, healthcare providers, health insurers, regulators and healthcare professionals.
There was recognition that differences in legislation, regulations, financing and governance can create challenges for regional cooperation. At the same time, all parties have a role to play in identifying practical solutions and removing unnecessary barriers.
For Public Entity Saba, continued cooperation with healthcare partners throughout the Kingdom is essential to ensuring that the specific needs of Saba are understood and considered when regional healthcare policies and initiatives are developed.
The visit also reinforced the importance of transparency and communication between healthcare institutions. Knowing what services, expertise and capacity are available across the region can help healthcare professionals respond more effectively when patients require care outside of Saba.
