ORANJESTAD — Parliamentarian Hendrik Tevreden has raised serious concerns regarding the capacity of the Youth Healthcare (JGZ) system, stating that current resources are insufficient to care for Aruba’s youth. Tevreden highlighted that only four full-time employees (FTE) are available to monitor nearly 30,000 children.
According to Tevreden, data shows a worrying trend in health indicators, with cases among children aged 4 to 12 tripling from 589 to 1,879 in the 2024-2025 period. He pointed out that 45% of these cases relate to overweight and obesity.
The Parliamentarian criticized the lack of coordination between agencies, calling the system fragmented. He noted that while data is collected, collaboration with schools and social workers is limited. Tevreden urged Minister of Public Health Wyatt-Ras to take decisive leadership to address the staffing shortage and improve inter-agency collaboration.
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