WILLEMSTAD - The Curacao Medical Center (CMC) is currently facing two major problems. In the first place, the influx of new corona patients. CMC director Gilbert Martina called on the government on Sunday to take measures as quickly as possible to prevent a new corona outbreak on the island.
In addition, the director indicated that a structural solution must be found for the losses that the hospital suffers every month. If no solution is found, the necessary maintenance that the building and installations require will be jeopardized within a few years.
New wave
As of December 2019, Martina is the interim director of the CMC. In the meantime, he has become director of the CMC. Martina regards the institution's financial situation as the greatest challenge of his current position. In the short term, however, he has to cope with a possible new wave of corona patients.
In March 2021 there was a first big wave. The rapid influx of corona patients meant that in mid-April, almost half of the three hundred hospital beds in the CMC had to be used for corona patients.
Call for action
That led to a disturbing situation where dozens of doctors and nurses had to be flown in to help; a large part of regular care had to be discontinued. Martina does not want to experience that again and called on the authorities on Sunday to take measures. In a radio interview, Martina said: 'If things continue like this, there will come a time when we can no longer accept patients. Then we reach code black.”
He expressed the fear that if nothing happens, patients would have to be admitted to a tent in front of the door and could possibly also die there. Despite the emotional appeal, no new measures had been announced by the government in Curaçao a day later.
Inadequate budget
Another challenge concerns finances. Since the opening of the hospital in November 2019, Martina has received a healthcare budget determined by the Minister of Health. This is not sufficient to cover all services and costs of the care that the CMC provides to patients who are insured with the Social Insurance Bank (SVB).
This lack of income to cover costs is one of the main challenges for Martina. “We are doing whatever it takes to see where we can cut costs ourselves, but we are also filing lawsuits to defend this position of the CMC,” said Martina.
The seriousness of the financial situation
To get an impression of the seriousness of the situation: the CMC receives between 3.8 and 4 million Naf every month. However, the hospital has even more expenses every month. These are increasing even further due to the corona crisis.
The heart of the matter, according to Martina: while the CMC cares for patients, it does not run for a profit. According to the director, the CMC can hardly get by with the financial resources it has at its disposal.
While the CMC cares for patients, it is still not making a profit. Every month, expenses exceed income
Mediation Court
In June, the CMC, through the Court's mediation, received part of the money it had requested from the government to cover the budget. The CMC asked for 28 million, the government approved 16.9 million. The government pays in several tranches. The first part came last June. Payment to the CMC must be completed by December. However, the amount is not sufficient, according to Martina.
But first, another immense problem demands all our attention: the corona crisis.