PHILIPSBURG:--- VSA Minister Claret Connor says staffing for the new general hospital has been discussed with the management of St. Maarten Medical Center, but he did not present a detailed workforce plan when questioned about preparations for the larger facility.
At Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing, Connor was asked whether the government is aligning training, overseas study, and recruitment with the hospital’s anticipated demand for nurses, doctors, medical technicians, information technology personnel, and administrative staff.
Connor said he met with SMMC management approximately two weeks earlier and identified nursing development as an area receiving sustained attention.
He referred to training through NIPA and SMMC for licensed practical nurses and registered nurses, describing the nursing programme as relatively advanced.
For specialist services, Connor said the hospital receives support from institutions in the Netherlands through arrangements that allow specialists to rotate into Sint Maarten for limited periods.
However, he could not identify which other staffing categories currently have priority.
“As far as staffing is concerned, I know that they have focused on that,” Connor said. “But in terms of the specific areas, I’m not sure exactly which area has priority.”
The minister said the hospital’s current focus is completing construction.
Pressed on his responsibility as Minister of Labor to help prepare a local workforce for the anticipated demand, Connor agreed that residents should have opportunities to train, return home, and take on more permanent positions.
He also said requests for specialist approvals have been reaching the ministry.
He indicated that further discussion with the hospital would be necessary to help ensure enough suitably qualified people return to fill positions in the years ahead.
The briefing did not establish how many additional employees the new facility will require, which vacancies could be filled locally or what recruitment and training deadlines are being used.
It also did not identify a coordinated programme linking projected hospital vacancies to students currently studying abroad.
Connor’s responses confirmed that nursing training and specialist recruitment arrangements exist. They left open how those efforts fit into a comprehensive staffing plan for the new hospital, including the technical and administrative services needed to operate it.