WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) is facing persistent organizational and staffing challenges that are putting pressure on access to healthcare. This emerges from the explanatory report accompanying the draft national decree on higher maximum remuneration for certain top officials.
According to the document, recent inspection reports show that the hospital continues to struggle with staff shortages, high workloads, and a structural outflow of personnel. These challenges have existed for a considerable time and are only partially related to the introduction of the National Ordinance on the Standardization of Top Incomes (LNT). The report makes clear that the problems are deeper and more systemic in nature.
One of the most pressing issues identified is understaffing in operating rooms. There is a limited availability of specialized personnel, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, and operating room assistants. As a result, operating theaters cannot always be used at full capacity, leaving available infrastructure underutilized.
The report also points to the limited use of operating rooms outside regular working hours. Evening and weekend surgeries are insufficiently deployed, making it difficult to reduce backlogs and shorten waiting times. The combination of staffing shortages and limited flexibility in scheduling places additional strain on surgical planning.
Furthermore, shortcomings have been identified in the registration and monitoring of waiting lists. Waiting lists are not always maintained in a uniform and systematic manner, making it difficult to obtain a complete and up-to-date overview of demand and available capacity. This lack of reliable data complicates planning and hampers the ability to take targeted corrective measures.
Beyond the hospital itself, the report highlights broader structural challenges affecting the healthcare sector on Curaçao. These include limited training capacity, a tight labor market, and ongoing organizational challenges within the hospital. Together, these factors contribute to pressure on healthcare delivery and prolonged waiting times for patients.
The government stresses that raising the salary cap for certain medical specialists is only a limited tool to improve the hospital’s attractiveness as an employer. According to the explanatory report, addressing the structural issues at the Curaçao Medical Center will require broader and more comprehensive measures to strengthen both capacity and quality of care.