WILLEMSTAD - Imagine a minister going so far as to jeopardize a hospital and put people's health and lives at risk purely out of revenge against a director—a director who defied the minister and refused to be his puppet. This might sound like the plot of a horror movie, but sadly, it’s the grim reality in Curaçao.
The Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) and the specialists have had to repeatedly turn to the media to highlight the issues caused by Minister Silvania and the MFK and PNP government. They have drawn attention to the problems with the General Practitioners’ Post (HAP), the ever-growing waiting lists, the shortage of specialists, and the financial difficulties facing the CMC. The saddest part is that the minister doesn’t even bother to engage with the CMC or the specialists to address these problems—he simply lets everything slide.
How much longer must the people of Curaçao suffer and risk their health because of this terrible situation? We now know that nine people have died due to a poorly functioning HAP that was established despite negative advice. An absent, irresponsible, and incompetent minister, who governs with anger and vengeance, watches as our people die.
In 2023, the PAR opposition faction exposed the criminal behavior of the former Minister of Health from MFK, Mrs. Dorothy Pietersz-Janga, who attempted to give millions of guilders to her friends, even against a court ruling. Incidentally, the letter regarding this exemption still hasn’t been amended by MFK.
Now, the PAR faction must again call on the MFK and PNP parties to put the people first and put an end to the irresponsible behavior of yet another MFK minister. Minister Silvania has shown that he likes to pick fights, but our country, and especially our healthcare system, can no longer be his battleground, with his fellow ministers and coalition parliament members acting as his soldiers.
The health of our people cannot be the price that Curaçao pays to keep a minister in his seat.