Hospital Sehos on Curaçao: for now, only money for emergency operations

WILLEMSTAD - Sint Elisabeth Hospital (Sehos) currently only operates in emergencies. The Curaçao hospital does not have enough money for other operations and patients now have to wait longer.

Patients affected by this measure will be informed by telephone that their operation is canceled. The hospital does not provide clarity about how long this situation will remain. Sehos took the measure because there is no money for medicines and materials to be able to perform all operations.

Hospital director Anthon Casperson says: “The Sehos has approximately 6,800 operations over an average of 300 days a year. This results in an average of 22 to 23 patients per day. The majority of these are acute and oncological operations. These are 15 to 16 operations per day. The rest therefore concerns elective operations that are not urgent."

Between 40 and 50 "elective" operations have now been postponed. The hospital is trying to clear the waiting list as quickly as possible, says medical director Franke Scheper, by performing extra operations on certain days. But he calls that "not a desirable situation" because it increases the workload on the specialists.

Court case against government due to tight budget

One reason the hospital gives for its poor financial situation is the budget that is too tight which they have been working with for four years. As a result, the deficits are also increasing: in 2016 and 2017 that was 14.4 million guilders. And in 2018 and 2019 that is 3.4 million. In 2018 the government increased the budget for healthcare. But according to the hospital, that is still not enough to cover the costs.

Health Minister Suzanne Camelia-Römer does not agree that the hospital is not getting enough budget: “Sehos received an increase from 124 to 135 million in 2018 and 2019. For the rest, they are now meeting with the public health inspector so that we can gain insight into their spending."

The hospital has since gone to court for dissatisfaction with the low budget. "If a party has an objection, they can always file a complaint, the hospital has now done so," says the minister who first wants to await the investigation from her public health inspection. In the meantime, the hospital has received 2.1 million from the government, but says it is not enough to resume the operating schedule.

The hearing of the case must still take place. A date is not yet known.

By Kim Hendriksen (Caribbean Network)




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