WILLEMSTAD - The financially distressed Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) can breathe again for a while. Yesterday, the judge decided in summary proceedings that the Minister of Health does not have the authority to cut the hospital budget.
The case was brought by the CMC because the hospital had serious objections to a Ministerial Order allowing the Minister to make corrections to the hospital budget. Read: may skimp on expenses. It involved a cut of 17 million guilders on the budget of just under 200 million.
According to the CMC, this action by the minister is against the law. The hospital wants payment of 100 percent of the actual costs. But according to the health minister, the regulation is a necessity and she warned of an "uncontrollable increase in health care costs". After all, it is not only the hospital that is in need of money, the country itself is also short of money.
With the judge's ruling yesterday, the minister drew the short straw. But that doesn't mean the hospital's financial slump is over. On the contrary, much more is needed for to keep the hospital open. Debts are high and the money from the hospital, which is only a year and a half old, has simply run out.
The CMC will hold a press conference this afternoon at 3 p.m. in which the hospital's financial situation will undoubtedly be the most important topic.