Priorities

I saw on FB that DOW asphalted Sero Biento/Santa Martha and that Gabinete Wever–Croes sent a congratulatory note.

Priorities.

I’d rather drive on sand roads and have sufficient psychologists/ psychiatrists on guard to fend off suicidal ideations and depression.

While roads get asphalted under yellow and/or green administrations, our mental-health patients have nowhere to go.

And don’t you go saying, the Dutch made us cut services, that is untrue.

For the past 36 years, the island’s health-care system treated mental-health as a step-child, under-funding services in that particular, silent field, silent, because unlike the flu, it hardly has outward symptoms, besides dim and gloomy eyes, and to notice those, you actually have to look at patients, listen intently, and not rush under pressure to diagnose and fix.

Talking about pressure.

At the onset of the pandemic we were warned that the dedicated, singular focus on Covid19 will have dire negative effects on all other health conditions, disease will intensify, simple ailments will become complex, and that mental health will play a central role in our efforts to restore life back to normal.

Who had time to listen, let alone act, under viral, communicable-disease pressure?

A few weeks ago the Head of the psychiatric department RESPALDO, psychiatrist Hendrikus van Gaalen, hits the alarm button, on World Mental Health Day, at a widely-covered press-conference.

The number of people who suffer neurological or mental disorders, went thru the roof, he said.

As a result, when a house doctor calls Respaldo, on behalf of a distressed patient, they say they can no longer accept anyone.

If you are standing on the ledge, threatening to throw your life away, then maybe, but not for anything else.

RESPALDO saw an increase of clients from 1,400 a year, to 3,000 last year and currently has 8,000 on the waiting list.

I don’t know if yesterday’s tragic jumper was on that list, waiting. But I hear he has been suffering for a long time, was desperate, saw no options, and made a decision he felt was best.

He was no longer thinking, just feeling, and the pain was insufferable.

We can now add all TV audiences, Divi employees and Phoenix guests to that waiting list. They have all undergone a very serious trauma, and must deal with the emotions it stirred.

As you know, there is a silent battle going on at the moment between the house doctors, HAVA, and MinTvS.

Silent, because HAVA keeps quiet, waiting for the legal procedures to conclude, but my sources say that it will go public on May 11th, 2021, unless MinTvs takes action, based on their recommendations.

MinTvs is dragging his feet, because elections are looming.

The recommendations were formalized by a committee, in response to the enforced healthcare cuts. Our healthcare sector representatives, brain stormed on how to make strategic cuts without cutting services, a Dutch authority worked to improve the proposals, and a reports was submitted to MinTvs.

But he is dragging his feet, because elections are looming.

The only decision made concerned the REVERSAL of a previous decision regarding co-pay for medications. It was first postponed, now abolished, which is foolish.

The introduction of co-pay was the right thing to do.

The pharmacies, were OK with that, though it hurt their business.

But pressure from voters mounted, something GOA can’t stand.

We were finally trying to introduce some savings, a change, but no, don’t piss voters off.

I say who cares? Some survey not long ago, showed AVP was the leading party — 31.9% Vs MEP 19.5%, so why not try something different, something new, make decisions that are good for the country, not just for the party, perhaps that will open voters’ eyes to realize you really care and that people are central.

 

 

 

 

 

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May 05, 2021
Rona Coster