WILLEMSTAD. – The constant unfair negative publicity against the Curacao Medical Center (CMC) is causing stress to the workers, who are experiencing high work pressure, according to the CMC Board of Directors in a letter sent to the Minister of Health, Javier Silvania.
The Board of Directors mentioned some of the important stress factors for the workers, as a result of high expenses and lack of resources, which make the ordering of products take much longer. However, workers should not worry about this. Due to the lack of sufficient financial resources, the CMC continues to have problems filling vacancies. As of December 31, 2023, total personnel expenses were 51%. The constant negativity towards the CMC on various recent occasions is causing workers to fear making mistakes and feel insecure. This can be seen reflected in the number of negative reports.
Recent statements by the CBV union about high work pressure and staff shortages also contributed to the fear of making mistakes. Internally, the Board of Directors says it is working to achieve a security structure where workers can express their concerns and thus optimize care and safety; workers feel responsible for their actions; department heads want more supportive practices to develop workers’ skills and alleviate their fears. But again, due to the CMC’s financial situation, this is not possible. In addition to this, there has been a parliamentary survey about the CMC in recent days to address the concerns among staff who believe this also has something to do with them, but that is not the case. They believed that the switch from SEHOS to CMC would not have financial problems but would be an improvement in financial health.
CBV does not communicate with the Board of Directors but all information coming from CBV or the Ministry of Health is disseminated through social media. This has a negative impact on the worker’s confidence in safeguarding their position within the organization. Furthermore, negative publicity is harming the employee. Naturally, negative publicity also plays a role in CMC’s ability to hire employees. Therefore, this also has consequences for the development in which the CMC is working to close care contracts with foreign patients and insurance companies. This is strategically important for this new hospital, as medical tourism has always been discussed as bringing in currency to Curacao and could contribute to sustainable economic development. Another problem is the salary standardization law. This point was also a subject of public debate.
