In line with St. Maarten Medical Center’s (SMMC) continuing mission of providing ‘Quality Care, Close To Home’, a new medical specialty Ophthalmology (Eye Care) will be available at SMMC as per September 3rd 2018.
An impressive team of 8 qualified Eye Specialists have been recruited from Suriname and Holland and are scheduled to deliver the complete Eye Care package to patients on St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius.
In order to establish the in-house Eye Care Clinic, SMMC has purchased brand new, state of the art Eye Care equipment which is installed in the designated Eye Care facility at the SMMC Care Complex.
Ophthalmologist Dr. Jerrel Pawiroredjo and his team are ready to start and look forward to elevating the Eye Care Clinic at SMMC.
Dr. Pawiroredjo explains their mission: “Our group consists of 8 Ophthalmologists with an average experience of 10 years (range 2-25 years). The strength of this group is that we all have one or more additional in-depth sub-specializations in, amongst others, Cataract, Diabetic eye disease, Glaucoma, Pediatric eye care, Eyelid and Lacrimal surgery or Corneal disease.
“Furthermore, in the past few months, SMMC nurses and Technical Ophthalmic Assistants have been trained in the Suriname Eye Center. This means that a wide spectrum of eye diseases will be diagnosed and treated in the SMMC Eye Care Clinic according to latest standards and developments in eye care”, he explains.
“Population surveys conducted in the Caribbean have shown that the most common causes of visual disability and blindness are:
1. Refractive errors (people who only need spectacles)
2. Cataract
3. Glaucoma (significant because of irreversible damage)
4. Diabetic eye disease
5. Trauma and corneal scars”
“Part of our responsibility is to educate the community in these common diseases and in the prevention of blindness. We will also partner and consult with all general practitioners and internal medicine specialists to establish an efficient referral and feedback procedure”.
“We expect the situation in St Maarten to be no different from the rest of the Caribbean and our team is very enthusiastic and prepared to give the best possible eye care to the community of St. Maarten”.
“We are ready to start!”, Dr. Pawiroredjo concludes enthusiastically.
This marks the first time that the hospital will be able to provide such treatment options within their roster of care. These new advancements in the Eye Care Clinic further underline the continued progression of SMMC’s commitment to growth, as it prepares for the new hospital.
The Eye Care Clinic is located in SMMC’s Care Complex. Patients who wish to see the new Eye Specialists can make an appointment at the Outpatient department at Tel: 543-1111 ext. 1300 / 1310 / 1334 or 1345. Appointments can be made from Mondays-Fridays between 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. SZV patients are requested to obtain a referral letter from their family doctor before visiting the Eye Specialists.