WILLEMSTAD - The Medical Staff Board (MSB) of the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) had issued a stark warning about the future of healthcare on the island, stating that critical hospital services may no longer be available after 2024. In an open letter addressed to "all residents of Curaçao," the MSB shared its deep concerns about the sustainability of medical care, a sentiment echoed by the Association of Medical Professionals Employed in Curaçao (VMPiLC).
The core issue highlighted in the letter is the impact of the National Ordinance on the Standardization of Top Incomes (LNT), which, starting this December, will also apply to medical specialists at the CMC. "Curaçao is the only country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands that has chosen to extend the LNT to hospital-employed medical specialists," the MSB wrote, expressing alarm over how this will affect their ability to practice effectively.
According to the MSB, the ordinance will hinder doctors from delivering the high standard of care they aim to provide. "We, as doctors, feel that this restricts our ability to function and threatens our professional autonomy," the letter stated. "In this environment, we cannot maintain the level of care, innovation, education, and research that we are committed to delivering."
The MSB also pointed out that the new regulation has already caused several specialists to leave the CMC in recent months, exacerbating an already serious shortage of medical professionals. Recruitment of new specialists has become increasingly difficult, and even for general practitioners, Curaçao is no longer an attractive destination. "This has contributed to a severe shortage of doctors, leaving specialists with less time for outpatient care and complex treatments," the MSB explained.
The letter warned that as a result, wait times for surgeries and outpatient appointments are expected to increase to "unacceptably high levels" in the near future. Furthermore, the CMC's regional healthcare role may be diminished, with more complex cases being referred abroad due to the lack of qualified specialists on the island. This, the MSB cautioned, would lead to much higher healthcare costs for Curaçao.
The MSB concluded its letter with an urgent plea to the government: "We call on the current administration to collaborate with us on finding a genuine, structural, and long-term solution. It is in everyone’s best interest that all residents of Curaçao are assured access to high-quality hospital care." The letter was signed by Stef Bakker, MSB chair and neurologist, and Sepp Theunissen, anesthesiologist and MSB member, representing all concerned doctors at CMC.
VMPiLC chairperson Vanessa Marcha affirmed the concerns raised by the MSB, stating, "We confirm the facts outlined and hope the government and other stakeholders take immediate action to prevent this potential healthcare crisis."