WILLEMSTAD - According to Minister of Health, Environment and Nature (GMN) Dorothy Pietersz-Janga, an outside-the-box solution is needed for the deficit at the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC). “I don't have a rosy story. The national treasury is empty, SVB (Social Insurance Bank) is struggling with financial problems, the healthcare budget of the CMC is insufficient, the Advent Hospital is short of funds and all government entities have money problems.

If you list all the facts, you will come to the conclusion that the solution should not be equated with financial aid.”

The minister said this in response to the decision of the CMC to discontinue elective care for SVB insured persons until 1 January 2022.

Last week the management of the CMC announced this drastic decision in a press conference. Pietersz-Janga: “The hospital has a duty of care. The CMC states that there is a compensation obligation, but the Curaçao government has no money.

We depend on liquidity support from the Netherlands. This support is linked to conditions. If we do not comply with these in time, we will not receive any financial support from the Netherlands. The government is continuously preparing reports. That takes up all the time. The committees we have set up to map the costs of the healthcare sector and come up with recommendations have their hands full with the deadlines of the implementation agendas.”

The minister acknowledges that the situation surrounding the CMC is difficult. “But they will have to try to find a solution internally. As a minister, I am not going to do that for them. The CMC receives 200 million guilders of the 500 million guilders that go to healthcare every year. What should we do if other medical institutions decide to stop providing services because the budget is insufficient? CMC is not the only healthcare facility that is in trouble.”