Minister Veronica Jansen Webster Visits St. Maarten Laboratory Services
The Honorable Minister Veronica Jansen Webster, accompanied by her support staff on July 5th, 2024 visited the St. Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS), one of the departments under the ministry's scope. The minister had long intended to visit SLS amidst her meetings with various departments, but her schedule had been exceedingly busy while she was also overseeing the Ministry of VROMI. Now that she is solely focused on her primary ministry, the meeting with Dr. Cherina Fleming, Director of SLS, and senior staff was arranged for a comprehensive briefing on the operations of SLS.
Dr. Cherina Fleming presented a brief history of SLS, highlighting the establishment of eight phlebotomy centers around the island. She explained the various roles and importance of SLS, emphasizing the critical partnerships with external laboratories. A notable highlight was the accreditation of SLS. The laboratory is now ISO 15189 & ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited by A2LA, making it the only lab in the Caribbean Dutch territories to achieve such a distinction.
The presentation concluded with a tour of the main facility, where the minister observed the advanced machinery, specialized cooling systems for sample preservation, and met with some of the dedicated staff essential to SLS operations.
Minister Jansen Webster expressed her admiration for the high standards and achievements of SLS and reaffirmed her commitment to supporting their future endeavors. She extended her best wishes to the team for their continued success and contributions to the health and well-being of the community.
