WILLEMSTAD – The management of Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) acknowledges that ongoing reforms at the hospital require painful decisions, particularly affecting medical specialists. However, the hospital board says the full enforcement of the Law on the Standardization of Top Incomes (LNT) is inevitable, following recent court rulings that leave no room for exceptions. According to the board, adjusting the salaries of specialists is not a choice but a legal and ethical obligation. 

The CMC considers compliance with the LNT one of the most sensitive issues the hospital has faced since 2023. The hospital had launched multiple legal challenges in an attempt to apply the law differently for medical specialists, but recent judicial decisions have confirmed that full compliance is mandatory. 

The Board of Directors admits that the impact on the specialists is significant—both professionally and personally. Nevertheless, they emphasize that the hospital, as a publicly funded institution, is obligated to follow the law. 

“These decisions were not made lightly. This was not a matter of choice, but of responsibility,” the board stated in an official release. 

The hospital leadership has for years been implementing changes to make the organization more efficient. These include better planning, shorter waiting times, and closer collaboration with general practitioners. Despite resistance, the CMC says it remains committed to its mission of structural improvement of healthcare in Curaçao.