Heath cooperation agreement stuck in the hands of the French says Minister Lee.

PHILIPSBURG:— The Memorandum of Understanding that was signed between the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital (LCF) is now stuck in Paris as that agreement has to be approved by the State before St. Maarten/ St. Martin could work together on matters related to Health Care. SMN News asked Minister Lee on Wednesday about this agreement and to explain why SMMC did not opt to take Samuel Allen Jr to the French side to see a neurologist rather than taking him to the Dominican Republic, thus depriving his wife, close friends, and colleagues the opportunity to beside Allen’s bedside as he transitioned on Saturday morning.

Minister Lee said he could not comment on the case specifically, but said the MOU that was signed between the Dutch and French side has been completed on the Dutch side since the Governor and all other relevant authorities on the Dutch side signed off on the document. However, he said that the MOU had to be sent to the department of Foreign Affairs and the minute it was sent there the process slowed down because the French state has to approve the agreement. Minister Lee describe the agreement as a handshake agreement and he too does not understand why such an agreement would take so long.

On the case of Samuel Allen Jr. questions are being raised within the various health department to determine if the doctor at SMMC made the right call to airlift Allen to the Dominican Republic knowing his medical condition when he left St. Maarten.

It is not yet known if the Inspectorate of Health has opened an investigation into SMMC and their operations and if the necessary sanctions will be taken against doctors that make the wrong decisions while providing health care to patients on St. Maarten.

Source: St. Martin News Network
Heath cooperation agreement stuck in the hands of the French says Minister Lee.

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