THE HAGUE - The Curaçao government has not yet taken advantage of an offer from the Netherlands for financial support on projects aimed at making the healthcare system more affordable. This was revealed in a written response by Secretary of State for Kingdom Relations, Zsolt Szabó, to parliamentary questions posed by Dutch MPs Faith Bruyning (NSC) and Raoul White (GroenLinks-PvdA) regarding the precarious financial situation of the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC).
Szabó emphasized that healthcare is a responsibility of Curaçao, stating, “Healthcare is a national matter and thus falls under the jurisdiction of Curaçao. The financing of healthcare has been a recurring point of attention, as noted multiple times by the Financial Supervision Board (Cft). This is why agreements were made in the country package to provide incidental financial support for projects contributing to healthcare system reforms. Curaçao has yet to make use of these provisions.”
The Curaçao Medical Center is currently facing severe financial challenges. According to information from the Cft, the hospital ended 2022 with a negative equity of ANG 149 million (approximately EUR 74.5 million). Moreover, the outstanding debt owed by Curaçao to the CMC stands at a minimum of ANG 433 million (about EUR 216.5 million).
One of the primary reasons for the CMC’s financial difficulties is the unexpectedly high cost of constructing the hospital, which has resulted in a larger-than-anticipated debt and significant annual recurring expenses. Additionally, there remains no long-term solution for providing care to uninsured and undocumented individuals, further exacerbating the financial strain.
In an effort to improve the financial situation of the CMC, the Curaçao government has announced plans for additional funding. The Curaçao Minister of Finance announced on September 10 that between 2025 and 2028, an additional ANG 253 million (approximately EUR 126.5 million) will be allocated to the CMC. This funding is expected to secure the quality of healthcare and improve the hospital’s financial health. The Curaçao government has also indicated that with this financial support, the CMC will no longer need to pay interest or principal on its debt, and an annual sum of ANG 10 million (about EUR 5 million) will be set aside for the healthcare costs of the uninsured.
The Minister of Finance also referred to the "Main Lines Agreement" of October 2022, signed between the government of Curaçao, the HNO Holding Foundation, CMC Operations, and CMC Real Estate, which outlines 14 themes aimed at finding structural solutions for the hospital's financial issues. Key areas include addressing the cost of the hospital building and finding solutions for funding care for uninsured and undocumented individuals.
As for the Netherlands' involvement, Szabó reiterated that the Dutch government has not yet received any formal requests from Curaçao for financial assistance. “There has been no request for assistance, nor have we received any indication that such a request is imminent,” Szabó explained. While the Dutch government has offered assistance multiple times, Curaçao has not made use of the support provided under the country package framework. The Netherlands remains prepared to assist should Curaçao request help in improving the healthcare system’s sustainability, accessibility, and quality.
Szabó also addressed concerns about the potential consequences of CMC’s financial troubles. Should the hospital become unable to provide care, he noted, “the care would need to be taken over by other hospitals in the region, such as those in Bonaire, Aruba, or Colombia,” while Curaçao’s two smaller hospitals have limited capacity to absorb the additional demand.
For now, the Dutch government continues to monitor the situation and maintains regular contact with Curaçao regarding the ongoing healthcare crisis, although no immediate solutions appear to be on the horizon.