WILLEMSTAD – Fundashon Betèsda says it is prepared to play a larger role in relieving pressure on Curaçao Medical Center (CMC), but warns that unresolved funding issues and the absence of long-term agreements are preventing the institution from expanding its rehabilitation services.
The statement comes days after CMC reported that 29 hospital beds are currently occupied by patients who have completed their medical treatment but cannot be transferred to rehabilitation centers or long-term care facilities. The resulting bottleneck has forced the hospital to postpone surgeries and has contributed to growing waiting lists.
According to Betèsda director Coryese Barendregt, the organization already developed a plan in 2022 to help ease the burden on the hospital by accepting rehabilitation patients who no longer require acute medical care.
Betèsda implemented the program for a period of time and has since assisted approximately 180 rehabilitation patients. However, Barendregt says the initiative has been severely limited because the institution has not received the 1.5 million guilders in funding that had been agreed upon with the Social Insurance Bank (SVB).
As a result, Betèsda has been forced to reduce the number of patients it can accommodate. While the facility currently has the expertise and staff to provide rehabilitation services, it can only care for four to five patients at a time under the current circumstances.
Barendregt said the institution possesses the specialized healthcare professionals needed to expand rehabilitation services but emphasized that large-scale geriatric rehabilitation would require a dedicated facility designed specifically for that purpose.
She also called for the government to formalize the rehabilitation program through a ministerial decree, arguing that structural arrangements are needed to guarantee continuity and allow healthcare providers to plan for the future.
The issue has gained renewed political attention following questions submitted in Parliament by former Minister of Health Javier Silvania. The current MFK Member of Parliament recently asked Health Minister Tyron Boekhoudt to explain why a ministerial decree reportedly prepared during his tenure has not yet been implemented.
The debate comes amid growing concern about capacity constraints within Curaçao's healthcare system. Healthcare providers and policymakers are increasingly focused on finding ways to improve patient flow between hospitals, rehabilitation centers and long-term care institutions in order to prevent unnecessary delays in treatment.
Betèsda maintains that with adequate funding and clear structural agreements, it could become an important part of the solution to the current bed shortage affecting Curaçao's main hospital.