WILLEMSTAD - The Medical Staff Board (MSB) has issued a warning to the residents of Curaçao, expressing grave concerns about the future quality of care at the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC). In a letter addressed to the public, the MSB highlighted the potential for a significant decline in healthcare services after 2024, citing the National Decree on Standardization of Top Incomes (LNT) as the primary cause.
According to the MSB, Curaçao is the only country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands that has decided to apply the LNT to medical specialists employed by the CMC starting this December. The decree, they warn, could trigger an exodus of specialists from the island.
“There is a lot of unrest among specialists,” the letter states, with Chairman Stef Bakker signing off on the communication. The MSB reports that several doctors have already left the island this year in anticipation of the LNT's implementation, and the struggle to find replacements has resulted in longer waiting times for treatments.
The specialists emphasize that the LNT is not only limiting their ability to function effectively as doctors but also threatens their autonomy in practicing their profession. “In this situation, we cannot achieve the level of care, innovation, education, and research that we want to continue providing,” the MSB warned.
Over the past months, various consultation efforts have failed to produce a satisfactory outcome, leaving the specialists uncertain about the future. The MSB is now urging the Curaçao government to collaborate on finding a “genuine, structural, and long-term solution” to ensure that all residents of Curaçao continue to receive high-quality hospital care.
As the December deadline for the LNT's implementation approaches, the MSB's call for action underscores the urgency of addressing the potential healthcare crisis looming over the island.