In November, the National Ombudsman made a visit to Bonaire in order to join the Public Entity of Bonaire (OLB) in taking stock of these ten years of complaint handling and to look ahead to the future. He also spoke with agencies on the issues of poverty, healthcare, and complaint handling by Care and Youth Caribbean Netherlands (ZJCN).
For ten years, the OLB has been handling the complaints that Bonaire’s residents have regarding the government. But citizens of Bonaire also have the option of turning directly to the Ombudsman without first having filed a complaint with the OLB. According to National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen: “I can see that the OLB has an eye for good complaint handling. Staff have been specially assigned to complaints handling and there is a growing awareness that much can be learned from such feedback. Also, more and more citizens are making use of their right to file complaints, which I see as a welcome development." The National Ombudsman and the OLB will continue to discuss the quality of complaint handling and any possible improvements in the days to come. Additionally, in 2023, the National Ombudsman will also be discussing complaint handling with the public entities of Sint Eustatius and Saba.
Combating Poverty
The Ombudsman spoke with Unkobon about poverty issues in the Caribbean Netherlands. Forty percent of the inhabitants are living below the poverty line. The Ombudsman and Unkobon agree on the need for greater and accelerated poverty reduction efforts. The Ombudsman has been conducting extensive research on poverty issues in recent years. He closely monitors the follow-up of recommendations made in the reports and is working on a vision for addressing poverty issues.
External Complaint Handling for Care and Youth Caribbean Netherlands
Since November 1, 2022, there has been an external complaint advisory committee that can be called upon for complaints received from residents about ZJCN. The National Ombudsman welcomes professional and independent complaint handling and spoke with the committee's chairman, Mr. Goedgedrag, during his visit to Bonaire. Among other things, they discussed their shared premise that citizens are entitled to independent and individual complaint handling and that these complaints provide valuable feedback to ZJCN. They also agree that the Ombudsman continues to play a role after complaints have been decided.
In conclusion, the Ombudsman spoke with ZJCN and with a Fundashon Mariadal representative about the quality of healthcare on Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius, exploring among other things the announced closing of Bonlab, continuity of care, and treatment options abroad.
