THE HAGUE - The management of the Curaçao Medical Center is in dire need of outside expertise to deal with its problems. This can be deduced from a letter that Undersecretary Raymond Knops of Kingdom Relations sent to the Dutch Parliament today.
The minister writes that it is currently being explored whether the Dutch Healthcare Authority can offer 'technical support'. Knops calls the financial situation of the CMC 'precarious'. On June 18, the Kingdom Council of Ministers already required the government of Curaçao to take measures as soon as possible to reduce the losses at the hospital. Knops emphasizes in the letter that the problems extend beyond the need for money.
The CMC states in its letter to Knops that the hospital is dealing with a precarious financial situation and explains this in more detail. Knops says to the Dutch MPs that reference is made in this regard in his letter to Parliament dated 22 June 2021, which states that conditions for the second part of the sixth tranche of liquidity support are related to, among other things, cost control at the CMC. In its letter, the CMC indicates that solutions should be sought more broadly than in cost control alone and provides a detailed explanation of various other aspects that will contribute to solving the precarious financial situation.
The financial situation at the CMC is so urgent that rapid decisions by the Council of Ministers of Curaçao on measures to minimize losses at the CMC is of the utmost importance.
Knops indicated that it is now being explored whether technical support can be provided to the CMC by the Dutch Healthcare Authority.
“Through the implementation report on the country package, I will continue to follow the progress by the country of Curaçao on this important topic,” Knops says.