WILLEMSTAD – Member of Parliament Shaheen Elhage of the opposition party PAR has raised serious concerns over the recent purchase and usability of two new ambulances by the Ambulance Care Foundation of Curaçao (FKAK). Speaking during a Central Committee meeting on June 19, Elhage called for transparency and demanded that the Minister of Health, Environment and Nature (GMN) produce long-overdue legislation regulating ambulance care in Curaçao.
The PAR MP emphasized that access to healthcare is a top priority for his party and that efficient, well-equipped ambulance services are critical for the island’s citizens, particularly in cases of serious medical emergencies such as strokes, heart attacks, traffic accidents, sports injuries, and domestic incidents.
Elhage pointed out that although Curaçao’s Ambulance Care Law ("Landsverordening Ambulancezorg") was enacted in 2011 and consolidated in 2012, essential regulations required by law – particularly those under Article 7 and Article 9 – are still missing. These articles stipulate the need for a National Decree (HAM) to set standards for vehicle equipment, staff training, maintenance, and care documentation. According to Elhage, these decrees do not yet exist, leaving the sector without legal safeguards or functional quality control.
Sharp Criticism of New Ambulances
Elhage conducted his own inspection of the two new ambulances, one of which – the Inveco model – has sparked public concern and parliamentary debate. He described several major shortcomings:
The cabins are split, preventing communication between the driver and the medical staff during transport.
The high clearance of the vehicle creates access issues for drivers and paramedics alike.
The lack of a hydraulic stretcher forces emergency personnel to manually lift patients, increasing the risk of delays or injury.
The ambulance has only two rear wheels instead of the industry-standard four.
Perhaps most critically, the vehicle cannot enter the emergency entrance of the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) due to its height, meaning patients must be offloaded outside — potentially costing precious seconds during life-or-death emergencies.
“This is alarming,” Elhage stated. “What does a delay of even one second mean for a trauma patient’s life?”
Questions for the Government
Elhage claims the ambulances were purchased without a public tender, unlike in 2023. He asked if FKAK had bypassed internal spending limits and whether its board had approved the purchase properly. He also questioned the Minister’s reported prohibition on using the ambulances until further notice.
In total, he posed ten formal questions, including:
Was the ambulance purchase within budget?
Was the staff consulted before acquisition?
Why was there no public tender?
What happens now to the unusable vehicles?
He also raised a final critical point: Will the Minister commit to producing the required HAM decree within six months? This would fulfill the legal obligations under Article 7 and 9 and provide a much-needed regulatory framework for ambulance care in Curaçao.
“Access to Healthcare Must Be Protected”
Elhage concluded by stressing that PAR will continue to push for proper oversight and better-quality healthcare services for the people of Curaçao. He called for better legislation, greater transparency, and full accountability for decisions affecting the well-being of the population and the professionals working in emergency medical care.
