WILLEMSTAD - A group of medical specialists is exploring the possibility of resigning from the Curaçao Medical Centre (CMC) and asking if they could directly bill the Social Insurance Bank as independent specialists, according to the Ministry of Health, Environment, and Nature (GMN).
The specialists are protesting the 2012 policy requiring new medical specialists to work as CMC employees, which restricts the establishment of new independent practices. According to GMN, the six specialists are attempting to bypass the Top Income Standards Ordinance (LNT norm), which caps the income of CMC-employed specialists at 501,000 guilders per year. “By resigning, the specialists are seeking to earn more than this maximum limit,” stated GMN.
The specialists have expressed deep dissatisfaction with the CMC administration, which they say has been poorly managed over the past five years due to a lack of medical expertise in leadership. They claim this has led to misguided decisions and insufficient provision of materials and staff.
A court ruling is expected on Monday, December 9.