WILLEMSTAD – Minister of Health, Environment and Nature (GMN) Tyron Boekhoudt has ordered the establishment of a national emergency healthcare organization to ensure that residents of Curaçao continue receiving essential medical services during strikes, collective work stoppages, or other major disruptions involving doctors, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical suppliers.
The decision, announced on November 5 and published on November 6, 2026, follows recent simultaneous actions by the Curaçao General Practitioners Association (CHV) and the Association of Pharmacy Owners (VAE), which, according to the ministry, seriously disrupted access to primary healthcare and prescription medications.
Boekhoudt described the situation as exposing an unacceptable institutional vulnerability in Curaçao's healthcare system, particularly because the population depends heavily on private healthcare providers for essential services.
The minister argued that the interruption of regular medical services as a means of pressuring authorities over higher reimbursement rates directly affects thousands of residents, including vulnerable patients who cannot afford to go without medical attention or medication.
Although the government recognizes the right of healthcare professionals and organizations to take collective action, Boekhoudt emphasized that this right is not absolute when essential public services are at risk.
According to the minister, the government cannot allow disputes over financial compensation to leave patients without access to necessary healthcare.
One of the central concerns identified by the ministry is the lack of an adequate daytime emergency alternative when general practitioners suspend their regular services.
The Huisartsenpost (HAP) currently provides medical care between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., as well as during weekends and public holidays. However, the ministry noted that no comparable backup structure is available during regular daytime hours.
This gap became particularly apparent during the recent disruptions involving general practitioners and pharmacies.
The government was ultimately required to initiate urgent court proceedings to restore regular medical services.
According to Boekhoudt, this demonstrated that Curaçao's healthcare system depends too heavily on private providers and lacks sufficient government-controlled emergency facilities.
The minister based the government's responsibility to intervene on Article 25, paragraph 1, of the Constitution of Curaçao, which establishes the government's obligation to take measures promoting public health.
He argued that this constitutional responsibility requires the government to act when access to healthcare is threatened for a substantial part of the population or particularly vulnerable groups.
As a result, the Ministry of GMN and the Social Insurance Bank (SVB), supported by the Public Health Inspectorate, Huisartsenpost, and Curaçao Medical Center (CMC), have been instructed to begin organizing operational backup structures and emergency healthcare facilities immediately.
The proposed organization would allow the government to arrange the continuation of essential healthcare services during strikes or work stoppages of a critical magnitude or duration.
Under the plan, temporary medical centers would be established to receive patients when regular general practitioners are unavailable.
These emergency facilities would operate with qualified physicians contracted or engaged through agreements arranged in advance by the government.
The ministry also intends to establish regional medication distribution centers, effectively creating government-operated pharmacy services capable of supplying essential medicines during disruptions.
These facilities would operate with designated pharmacists under the supervision of the pharmaceutical inspectorate.
A third component would allow the government to independently import medications if pharmaceutical importers suspend their services.
Imported medicines would then be distributed through the government's emergency pharmacy network.
Together, these measures are intended to prevent patients from becoming dependent on the outcome of disputes between healthcare providers, commercial organizations, and public authorities.
The ministry emphasized that the proposed emergency organization is designed to guarantee continuity rather than replace the existing healthcare system during normal operations.
However, its establishment would give the government an alternative mechanism for providing essential services when the regular healthcare network becomes unavailable.
Boekhoudt maintained that the ultimate responsibility for protecting public health rests with the government, even when healthcare services are ordinarily delivered by private organizations.
The ministry has therefore begun preparing the administrative, operational, and legal measures necessary to establish the new emergency structure.
The announcement marks a significant proposed change in Curaçao's healthcare contingency planning, with the government seeking to ensure that future collective actions do not leave residents without access to medical consultations or essential medication.