WILLEMSTAD - This Friday, November 15, marks the fifth anniversary of the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC). In a press release, the hospital reflected on its achievements and the challenges it faced, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, which put immense pressure on its staff.
The CMC also highlighted a significant milestone in its statement: for the first time in four years, the waiting list for surgeries has dropped to fewer than 1,000 patients. The overall patient satisfaction score is reported at 8.6, with the radiotherapy department achieving an impressive rating of 9.2.
Financial Challenges
Since its opening, the CMC has struggled with financial difficulties. The construction of the hospital turned out to be much more expensive than initially anticipated. One of the original revenue strategies was to attract medical tourists from the region to Curaçao for specialized treatments, but this model has so far fallen short of expectations.
According to the latest figures published in September, the CMC faces a negative equity of 149 million guilders and total debt amounting to 433 million guilders.
Negotiations between Finance Minister Javier Silvania and the hospital's medical staff regarding salary cuts have been ongoing for over a year without resolution. The high workload and stress among specialists, combined with challenges in recruiting new personnel, continue to exacerbate the situation.