WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) supports measures to reduce surgical waiting lists, including medically responsible use of external healthcare providers, but warns that spending public money on temporary solutions cannot replace structural funding for Curaçao’s own hospital.
The statement comes as the government explores alternatives to reduce waiting times for specialist healthcare. Health Minister Tyron Boekhoudt has recently been discussing options to expand treatment capacity, including bringing specialists to Curaçao, strengthening local capacity and arranging care abroad when appropriate.
CMC says it supports initiatives that allow patients to receive necessary treatment sooner, provided they are medically responsible.
However, the hospital warns against treating such programs as an alternative to addressing CMC’s underlying financial problems.
Even when patients receive certain procedures or treatments elsewhere, CMC says they will continue to depend on the hospital for emergency services, diagnostics, follow-up treatment and care if complications arise.
For that reason, CMC argues that any government funding allocated to temporary external care must be additional financing and must not be taken from resources needed to operate the hospital.
The warning comes amid a significant dispute over the amount of funding CMC requires.
The hospital calculates that approximately XCG 236 million is needed in 2026 to provide necessary healthcare to SVB patients. SVB is expected to provide XCG 206.4 million, resulting in an estimated XCG 29.6 million gap.
CMC says it has warned the government and SVB about inadequate financing for several years, through discussions, formal correspondence and supporting documentation, without a structural solution being implemented.
The hospital says it has continued working on operational improvements and responsible use of its available resources. However, it maintains that internal efficiency measures cannot eliminate a structural financing deficit.
The consequences could become acute within weeks. Based on current projections, CMC says it risks having insufficient liquidity from the beginning of November to meet all financial obligations on time.
CMC also argues that sustainable financing is necessary to maintain its workforce. Employees are currently waiting for progress in CAO negotiations, and the hospital says improvements in employment conditions must be financially sustainable.
The hospital is therefore calling on the government to distinguish between money intended for temporary measures, funding for improved employee conditions and the resources required to resolve CMC’s existing structural deficit.
According to CMC, Curaçao ultimately cannot guarantee accessible and high-quality healthcare without ensuring that its principal hospital is financially sustainable.
After years of discussions, the hospital says the time for further delay has passed and that the government must now make concrete decisions about CMC’s structural financing.