Vlissingen has done much for Ambon city development

The municipal government of Vlissingen in the Netherlands has done a lot in terms of health, education, and environment for the eastern Indonesian city of Ambon in Maluku since the two established sister city cooperation.

Established in 2006, the Ambon-Vlissingen sister city cooperation has focused on improving waste management, hygiene, environment, and health, in addition to education in Ambon.

On November 20, 2015, the governments of the two cities signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the extension of the sister city cooperation.

The MoU was signed by Mayor of Ambon, Richard Louhenapessy and Vlissingens Deputy Mayor Albert Vader in the Maluku provincial city of Ambon.

The extension of sister city cooperation is expected to further strengthen the brotherly relations between the two cities, Vader remarked in Ambon Friday.

Ambon city development in the economic, environmental, health, and education fields has improved every year, according to him.

"I have seen that the cooperation in the development of Ambon Vlissingen Eye Clinic has experienced rapid progress, and the school set up as a green school pilot project in the field of education is also getting better," Vader noted. 

The deputy mayor of Vlissingen also admired the performance of the Ambon city administration which continues to carry out development to improve the local peoples welfare.

"I also admire the hospitality of the people of Ambon in serving and welcoming guests who come, because it is an important supporting factor," Vader affirmed.

In the meantime, Louhenapessy noted that the visit of Vlissingens deputy mayor to Ambon is expected to further strengthen sister city cooperation not just in the fields of health and education.

"Our cooperation is expected to increase in the fields of fisheries and tourism," he said, adding that the cooperation is also believed to advance education and improve the health of the people in Ambon. 

The mayor of Ambon explained that the characteristics of Ambon city and Vlissingen are almost the same because they are both waterfront cities.

Louhenapessy acknowledged that much has been done to Ambon by the municipal government of Vlissingen in the development of Ambon Vlissingen Eye Clinic in the village of Passo, implementation of free cataract surgery, urological surgery, and harelip surgery.

Besides, Vlissingen has also done a lot in sanitation and water management, development of tourism and tourism promotion in the Netherlands.

He expressed the hope that with the extension of sister city cooperation, the low-income people in Ambon can enjoy free health services from Dutch doctors. 

"The signing of the sister city cooperation is expected to provide added value to the development of the city of Ambon in the future," he said.

Ambon and Vlissingen municipal governments have again conducted free urological surgery and harelip surgery for the people of Ambon from November 12 to 25, 2015.

"Until Thursday, some 21 patients had undergone urological surgery and harelip surgery at Dr Hulussy Hospital in Ambon," the Chief Medical Officer of the city of Ambon, Treesje Tory said in Ambon Thursday.

These surgeries involved four specialists from the Netherlands, supported by a team of doctors and nurses from Haulussy hospital, she said.

"The medical team consists of a plastic surgeon, anesthesiologist and the medical personnel of Vlissingen, who are supported by a team of doctors and nurses from Haulussy hospital to assist in the operations," she said.

As many as 60 patients have registered, and the number will certainly increase, according to Treesje.

"The number of patients to undergo surgeries continues to increase, because the free operation is intended for people who cannot afford it, and can enroll in Ambon City Health Department or the nearest health center," she said.

The activities of this operation are part of the sister city cooperation of the municipal government of Ambon and Vlissingen in various fields, she explained.

The operation aims to help the poor in Ambon and surrounding areas and the people who have health problems.

Admittedly, the operations are carried out every year and address poor communities in the city of Ambon.

In 2014, some 75 patients successfully underwent surgery by a team of doctors from the Netherlands.

This year, a team of doctors from Vlissingen has not put restrictions on the number of patients to undergo surgeries.

"The more people sign up, the better, depending on the readiness of the doctors, because the duration of the operations in Ambon will be two weeks," she noted.

Therefore she called on the people of Ambon who would like to have the free operation to register themselves either directly at Haulussy hospital or at the nearby community health centers.

Besides conducting free urological and harelip surgeries, the doctors also conducted free cataract operations.

In addition to focusing on health services, the Ambon-Vlissingen cooperation is also focused on neighborhood cleanliness, garbage management, and education in the form of a student exchange program between Ambon and Vlissingen

Source: ANTARA