🇸🇽 Sint Maarten Healthcare Guide
Sint Maarten's main facility is St Maarten Medical Center in Cay Hill, with a new general hospital under construction. Most emergency, surgical, and maternity needs are handled locally; advanced tertiary care is referred to Colombia, Curaçao, or the United States.
Quick facts
- Emergency number: 911
- Ambulance: 912
- Healthcare system: mixed
- Average GP visit: $75 USD
- EHIC/GHIC accepted: No
- Language barrier: low
Healthcare overview
St Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) on the Dutch side handles A&E, general surgery, maternity, ICU, and most common specialties for both Sint Maarten residents and visitors. A new general hospital is under construction in Cay Hill (expected 2026–27) which will significantly expand capacity. The French-side facility, Centre Hospitalier Louis-Constant Fleming in Marigot, is also accessible — many residents use both depending on insurance and language.
For tertiary care beyond local capacity — complex oncology, advanced cardiac surgery, transplant, severe trauma — patients are typically referred to Colombia (Fundación Cardioinfantil in Bogotá), Curaçao (Curaçao Medical Center), or the US (Florida hospitals). Air ambulance arrangements are well established with both regional and US providers.
Private clinics and specialty practices are common in Philipsburg and around Simpson Bay — covering dermatology, dentistry, ophthalmology, and dive medicine. The Caribbean Hyperbaric Center on Sint Maarten is one of the few decompression chambers in the eastern Caribbean and serves regional dive emergencies.
Vaccinations
Recommended
- Routine vaccines up to date
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid (for stays >2 weeks)
- Hepatitis B (selectively)
Prescriptions and pharmacies
Sint Maarten follows Dutch Caribbean prescribing rules. Most US, EU, and UK prescriptions can be filled at local pharmacies with original labelling and a doctor's letter. Bring enough for your stay plus a few extra days — specialty drugs may need to be flown in.
Controlled substances (opioids, ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines) require a doctor's letter on entry and original packaging. Cannabis is illegal on the Dutch side despite Netherlands' mainland reforms.