Arrindell said he is a Civil Servant and under no circumstances, he will sign out of his country to burden the Dutch with St. Maarten failures, SZV reacts.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The parents of “Baby Polanco” Oliver Vincent Arrindell aka Bolo and Basilla Polanco who is currently in the Netherlands since January 15th 2017 informed SMN News on Friday morning that since he reached out to SMN News and the Minister of Plenipotentiary, Henrietta Doran York, USZV managed to find him an apartment for one month “until April 16th.
Arrindell said he was contacted on Thursday and was told to go and see a house which he did and also accepted because he did not go to the Netherlands for a “joy ride” but instead to seek medical treatment for his son who became handicapped due to gross negligence at the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) at the birth of his child. Arrindell made clear that ever since he went to the Netherlands his son only saw the doctors two times and up to this present moment the child has not received any medical treatment and therapy.
He said just recently he learned from the Social Worker that the only reason the child did not get the required care was because USZV did not pay for it. He further stated that since his story hit the news and the Minister of Plenipotentiary got involved USZV made some payment arrangements and he now has two appointments with "someone" later this month for his son, but after that, he does know what will be USZV next course of action. Arrindell further explained that he saw someone like that who basically questioned him and his wife about her pregnancy, her illness and the reason she did not get the required treatment during pregnancy at SMMC. He said both appointments he has for later this month is what he already did since he took his son to the Netherlands, so far nothing about therapy and care have yet been discussed.
Arrindell said he moved into the house at 5 pm on Thursday and he received a contract that will end on April 16th, he said the cost for the apartment is at a daily rate of 55 Euros per day. (The contract for the apartment Arrindell provided to SMN News).
Arrindell said prior to him leaving St. Maarten a personnel of USZV and a lawyer told him when he reached the Netherlands he must sign out and sign in there in order for the Dutch to cover the child medical expenses. He said tried doing what they instructed him to do but at no time did he agree to sign out of St. Maarten because he is a civil servant. He said his wife would have signed out and sign in the Netherlands but they needed an address which he did not have.
Arrindell said that after he moved in the apartment, USZV sent his lawyer on St. Maarten a letter informing her that Arrindell must sign out of St. Maarten and sign in the Netherlands in order for the Dutch to cover his son medical cost. He said USZV went as far as telling his lawyer that the mother of his handicapped son cannot stay in the Netherlands because she does not have the required documents to stay there. He said his lawyer asked the USZV representatives since when they are immigration because his wife has a visa that will expire in July and when he went to the authorities in the Netherlands they informed him that the child mother could stay in the Netherlands. He made clear that the Dutch did not make his child a handicap, and he is in possession of a letter where SMMC admitted to their negligence and he intends to file a claim against SMMC for malpractice, negligence including pain and suffering for he and family have gone through since the birth of child on April 16th, 2015.
Arrindell said ever since he is the Netherlands he met people from St. Maarten that stayed in the hotels for two years and USZV covered their expenses and he cannot understand why they are putting this kind of pressure on him to sign out of St. Maarten immediately and to sign in the Netherlands. He sent a strong message to USZV and SMMC that he is not going to fall for their tricks and or games because he is a St. Maartener, and a long-time civil servant and those who basically destroyed his family will be held accountable for it.
SMN News contacted the Director of USZV Glen Carty several times for a comment on the Arrindell “Baby Polanco” case and each time Carty promised to have his communication officer send a statement to SMN News, but to date, USZV did not comment on the ongoing saga with the Arrindell family.
It should be noted that prior to Arrindell leaving St. Maarten he made his plight known in at least two newspapers and a member of the cabinet of the Minister of VSA intervened to get the Arrindell family out of St. Maarten while he did not ensure that USZV make proper arrangements for the family as well as arrange for the child to get the required treatment he needed. Arrindell made clear that he will be returning to St. Maarten and those that is responsible for his son's medical condition, the pain, and suffering family went through for the past two years will be held accountable.
SZV respects the actions of our customers to reach out to the media with their concerns. SZV, however, is not at liberty to respond in detail on the status of the cases of our customers, this would be in breach of their privacy.
As is customary, all customer claims are investigated and so is Mr. Arrindell’s claim.
It is important to emphasize that a medical referral abroad is always unique and the medical services provided are customized based on the needs established by the patient’s medical reports and recommendations received by health care providers.
Once more, thank you for reaching out to us, we cannot go into more details on the case of the Arrindell family as this would require us to divulge personal medical information which would be in breach of our customer’s privacy.
