WILLEMSTAD — The surgeons at St. Elisabeth Hospital (Sehos) will be working in close cooperation. Four general surgeons have established a partnership today. Another two surgeons will join the partnership in August, said general surgeon Patrick Fa Si Oen. With this partnership, the surgeons at Sehos wish to improve the quality of the surgical service.The hospital’s patients will benefit directly from the cooperation. Henceforth, the patients will be operated on by the surgeon most specialized in the treatment of the patient in question. “This removes the competition rivalry and the patient is protected”, said Fa Si Oen. “This prevents a surgeon from keeping a patient, even though he knows another colleague could give the patient a specific treatment.” Within the group, surgeons could distinguish themselves in cancer surgery, abdominal surgery and vascular surgery.

One of the largest advantages of the partnership is achieving unity in policy and uniformity of treatment. All patients accepted by the partnership will benefit from the special knowledge and skills of surgeons thanks to frequent mutual consultation. Furthermore, there will be a question of peer control. Negative publicity round a not properly functioning partnership could damage its reputation, which would be of no avail to anyone.

The close cooperation anticipates developments in the medical service. Through the partnership, the surgeons also want to show The Netherlands that they function as a group. This way, doctor assistants and co-assistants can continue to come to Curaçao.

A preparatory period of one year preceded the establishment of the partnership. Professor and oncologist surgeon Theo Wiggers from The Netherlands supports the partnership. The initiative of the partnerships fits within the vision of the Council for Public Health. The four surgeons united in the partnership are Patrick Fa Si Oen, Michel Berry, Peter van Eikelenburg and Jeannouel van Leeuwen. Rodney Juliet and David Nellensteijn will join the partnership in August. All central specialist surgeons are then represented in the partnership.

The domicile of the partnership is in two buildings: surgeons Fa Si Oen, Berry and Van Leeuwen will remain in Emmastad and the other surgeons at Spectrum on Roodeweg. This is a temporary arrangement in anticipation of the new hospital. The surgical partnership is the second partnership on the island. The urologists on Curaçao formed a partnership earlier on.

The group is also holding conversations with surgeons of the Taams Clinic. The aim is to unite all surgeons on the island in a partnership.