SMMC Met with Several Stakeholders and Government to Secure Financing for Hospital’s Expansion --- SZV has Concerns on Financing SMMC.

Philipsburg:--- The Supervisory board of the St. Maarten Medical Center is busy seeking financing to the tune of NAF. 30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million Guilders) to proceed with the expansion of the medical facility. Last week Wednesday, the board of the SMMC presented its expansion plans to the government of St. Maarten even though government has refused to give them a letter of guarantee to obtain a loan from one of the banks on St. Maarten.

A meeting was held on Tuesday with management of SZV, the board of the St. Maarten Medical Center, and the Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever to see if parties can come to an agreement.

SMN News has been reliably informed that the SMMC board contacted SZV requesting a loan from the medical insurance provider to the tune of eight million guilders but SZV has some concerns which SMMC is not willing to address in a clear and transparent fashion.

According to a reliable source, SZV wants to ensure the continuity of the management of the St. Maarten Medical Center. Questions were posed by SZV about the hospital's medical director that is wearing many caps depending on what he is defending on behalf of the St. Maarten Medical Center. SZV also requested information on the other creditors that are willing to assist SMMC with its project through a loan, but SMMC is not willing to provide that information to SZV.

The source said that one of SZV's main concern is that the St. Maarten Medical Center is not only looking at expanding its current structure, but they also want to add additional services to those that they are already providing. "If that is the case then there needs to be proper management in place to ensure that the institution delivers quality service as well as makes suffient monies to repay its lenders in the stipulated time frame that is agreed upon.

The supervisory board of the St. Maarten Medical Center also met with representatives of the St. Maarten Health Care Union where they have been informing the union on the expansion project and its progress.