The Minister of Tourism, Health and Sports, Mr. Dangui Oduber, announced that after 3 years of hard work, Aruba can finally enact the country decrees that regulate the accreditation institutions and the educational criteria that recognize regional organizations for medical education.
In addition to the BIG registration of the Netherlands, these national decrees regulate that Aruba can recognize accredited medical specializations such as:
- Sistema Nacional de Acreditacion de la Educacion Superior (SINAES) in Costa Rica;
- Consejo Nacional de Acreditacion (CNA) in Colombia;
- Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) in the US;
- Medical Council of Canada (MCC) in Canada.
Other national decrees that will take effect from May 15, 2021, regulate the education criteria based on principles that are similar to those in Canada and the Netherlands and that have exchange programs. After a full investigation, the following medical universities were found that meet the criteria:
- Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR);
- Universidad de Ciencias Medicas (UCIMED);
- Universidad Latina de Costa Rica.
The following Colombian universities that also meet the criteria are:
- Universidad El Bosque;
- Pontificia Universidad Javariana.
The professions in the medical sector that can start their registration in the next 3 months are doctors, pharmacists, midwives and physiotherapists as indicated in this national decree. The process for dentists is still ongoing and will eventually be regulated and implemented. This development creates new opportunities and creates more resilience in healthcare. With this development, the government fulfills the vision to get Aruban medical professionals back to work in Aruba to strengthen the healthcare sector.
In addition, this development will create new opportunities for the local professionals to specialize in Aruba through agreements offered by accredited institutions such as the Netherlands School of Public and Occupational Health (NSPOH). The minister is grateful to his entire team, the Directorate of Public Health (DVG), the Public Health Inspectorate and all stakeholders within the healthcare sector for the realization of this project.
