PHILIPSBURG:--- In Zeist near Utrecht, Naeem Juliana MD (Medical Doctor) graduated as a psychiatrist after 5 years of specialist training. Professor Dr. A Braam psychiatrist in Utrecht and A-Educator was the chairperson for the evening.
Naeem was born in Curacao but since the age, if six lived in St. Maarten, after graduating from Milton Peters College he went on to study medicine at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. After graduation as a medical doctor, he approached the Mental Health Foundation with the request to work as an MD until he could continue his studies to become a psychiatrist. It was a period of one year that he worked under the supervision of the MHF psychiatrists Dr. Kour and Dr. Gandotra.
The patients and staff immediately embraced him as a professional, but the patient and kind person he really left a void when he returned to Holland to specialize in becoming a Psychiatrist.
During his specialization period, he also took up writing and became a member of the Dutch writers gild. His short stories are published in the “caribischnetwerk.ntr.nl” During the graduation ceremony he was introduced by Dr. Gilbert Thomas a Curaçao born psychiatrist who visited St. Maarten on a regular basis to see patients before the establishment of MHF. Dr. Thomas was on St. Maarten during hurricane Lenny and also explained patient’s experiences in that period, the coping of persons and the support.
The title of Dr. Juliana’s presentation was “A postcolonial experiment during a storm” a reflection of a psychiatry internship post-hurricane Irma. Dr. Juliana got permission from the University to come to St. Maarten for 6 months after hurricane Irma to help out.
He starts by explaining patients experience post-Irma after witnessing weeks of looting, which had completely changed persons and were not coping well. The feeling of not being helped, nor protected by Government and the fear that their homes would be looted as well. Elderly who were traumatized by the fierceness of the hurricane were also seen. The government’s lack of support to its people and the inevitable consequences was considerable. In his closing remarks, he depicts the same patients at the end of the 6 months and their coping abilities.
Dr. Juliana has decided to gain experience the coming year in Curaçao and hopes to be able to return to St. Maarten and work for the country he grew up in.
