WILLEMSTAD - The government of Curaçao is willing to raise the maximum annual income for medical specialists on salary by 30 percent to half a million guilders. This salary increase is tied to clear performance requirements, such as reducing waiting lists and improving healthcare quality.
This development follows reports of an increasing departure of medical specialists from the Curaçao general hospital, partly caused by the introduction of the National Ordinance on the Norming of Top Incomes (LNT). In response, after evaluating the financial effects of the LNT, the Minister of Health proposed raising the salary cap to 500,000 guilders.
The Council of Ministers has approved this salary increase, on the condition that measures are implemented to improve healthcare quality. These include implementing quality measures to shorten waiting lists, improving medical procedures, and establishing a system of performance-based rewards.
Despite a formation of 114 full-time positions in 2023, the actual number of occupied specialist positions at the CMC has decreased to approximately 89. For 2024, an increase to 130 full-time positions is even planned, emphasizing the urgency of attracting and retaining specialists.
Minister Javier Silvania of Finance and Health emphasizes the importance of attractive living, lifestyle, and working conditions to recruit and retain both local and foreign medical specialists. "The shared intention of the government and the medical specialists is to ensure the quality of healthcare in Curaçao and, where possible, to improve it," Silvania said.