“I do not know what Mr Ramadhin’s problem is. He has been a minister. He did his thing for five years, as he thought he should do it. Let Mr Ramadhin give me the space to do my work and not spew all kinds of unfounded things into society,” Misiekaba told journalists on Wednesday, ahead of the Council of Ministers meeting.
The minister was responding to criticism from Ramadhin, who had earlier raised questions about the progress of the Information Systems for Health (IS4H) and HEARTS programmes. According to Misiekaba, there is absolutely no reason to state that these projects have been halted or put on the back burner. “And I repeat, and this is the last time I am going to say it. IS4H has not been parked and HEARTS has not been parked. On the contrary,” the minister stressed.
Misiekaba invites Ramadhin to join NDP
Misiekaba also addressed the continued criticism from his predecessor. According to him, Ramadhin had the opportunity during his five-year term of office to implement his own policy. He believes that his predecessor should now give him the same space. “I really appeal to him. If he has nothing to do, let him join the NDP. We have a lot of work to do there,” Misiekaba said.
Minister announces press briefing
To provide clarity on the progress of both health programmes, Misiekaba announced a press briefing. During this meeting, technical experts will explain the current state of affairs and the next steps.
The minister referred in this regard to Dr Aloysius Koendjbiharie, who is involved in the implementation of the HEARTS programme. According to Misiekaba, he received a presentation about three weeks ago on the progress of the project and the work that still needs to be carried out.
Digitalisation and tackling chronic diseases
The IS4H programme focuses on the digitalisation of healthcare and improving the exchange of patient data between healthcare providers. The HEARTS programme focuses on strengthening primary healthcare, with particular attention to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable conditions.
The progress of IS4H had previously come under discussion when Misiekaba ended cooperation with a consultant from the programme. Key News reported on this in November 2025. At the time, the minister indicated that the digitalisation work would be continued by the ministry’s own ICT departments. Misiekaba maintains that both programmes are continuing. “Mr Amar Ramadhin’s stories are fables,” he concluded.
