WILLEMSTAD – The Court of Appeals has rejected a request by the Stichting Sint Elisabeth Hospitaal (Sehos) to hold the Curaçao government liable for an outstanding debt owed to Linde Gas, amounting to more than half a million guilders.
The debt in question stems from unpaid bills left behind after Sehos transferred its medical care services to the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC). Linde Gas, which supplied medical gases, is seeking payment directly from Sehos.
While Sehos was previously ordered by a lower court to pay the debt, it responded by launching a damages claim and arguing that the government should be responsible for settling old debts as part of an unresolved legal dispute regarding debt forgiveness during the transition to CMC.
However, both the initial court and now the Court of Appeals have ruled that the government cannot be held accountable for Sehos’s debt to Linde Gas. The appeal court has upheld the previous verdict, meaning Sehos remains solely responsible for the payment.
The ruling adds further financial pressure on the former hospital foundation as it continues to deal with its legacy liabilities.