Emergency Room

St Maarten Medical Center’s extensive commitment to the community of St Maarten and neighboring islands includes an emergency department which is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Our staff stands ready to serve when you need us most, providing treatment for minor emergencies to life-threatening heart attacks, stroke and trauma. Ambulance personnel work closely with our ER team to ensure that the community has the best emergency treatment available.

It is important to know that the ER uses a patient sorting system called triage. A nurse assesses your condition to determine what level of care you need. Patients evaluated with the most serious injuries and conditions are treated first. Therefore it is important to clearly state your symptoms and/or the purpose of your visit. Read our brochure How things work in the ER, to learn more about our Triage care system.

Important facts to know

The SMMC emergency department treats about 1000 patients each month. We strive to keep patient waiting time minimal. There are four treatment rooms. Medical specialists can also be called in for consultation or treatment, which will affect the waiting time. When needed, diagnostic exams such as X-ray, Lab, CAT Scan and Ultrasound testing are available 24/7. Surgeons and operation team are also available or on call 24/7.

The ER caters to visitors from the region, including visitors from the cruise ships. Almost 10% of the ER patients are visitors to the island.

We do not give medical advice over the telephone. Patients are referred by their doctors, cruise ship doctors or are self referred.

Air ambulance evacuation

Due to the complexity of a patient’s condition the recommendation to fly out the patient to a more specialized facility can be made by the attending physician. Tourists or cruise ship passengers also make use of Air Ambulance Evacuation in order to continue their treatments in their country or closer to their families. The air ambulance aviation company, MELMIC AVIATION, is based on St. Maarten for quick response to emergencies and is independent of the SMMC.

A team effort

You can count on our emergency physicians and highly professional staff of ER nurses, as well as the support of our entire hospital in providing you with optimal health care in times of emergencies.