What is the current state of the health sector in Suriname? What are some of the challenges and the opportunities in the country?
The most pressing issues in our healthcare system stem from financial deficiencies and infrastructural challenges. Since July 2020, when we took office during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have faced immense pressure on our health infrastructure, from primary healthcare centers to intensive care units and emergency services. The World Health Organization warned that low and middle-income countries would be particularly affected, and Suriname was no exception.
Even before COVID-19, Suriname had significant challenges in healthcare. One of the key problems is the lack of a formal financing structure. Unlike countries like Guyana, where healthcare is primarily privatized, Suriname has maintained a social healthcare system since its independence in 1975. According to different laws, the government is responsible for providing care to the population.
Since 2014, there has been legislation requiring every citizen to have health insurance. The law also states that those unable to afford insurance should have access to government-funded support, but in reality, this has not been implemented in the correct way. As a result, about 150,000 people in Suriname remain uninsured, creating additional strain on hospitals and leading to substantial medical debts.
Given these financial difficulties, how does the government support hospitals and medical facilities?
Hospitals rely heavily on government support because the revenues they generate are insufficient to cover costs. This is largely due to the fact that many patients do not pay directly for services, as healthcare in Suriname is structured as a social system. The lack of financial resources means that hospitals struggle to maintain operations, purchase medical supplies, and pay staff. We have undertaken different measures which has led to strengthening of the financial position of health institutions.
Another challenge is the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Around 73% of deaths in Suriname are directly or indirectly related to NCDs, with cardiovascular diseases, kidney failure, diabetes, and hypertension being the most common. Diabetes alone affects about 13% of the population, leading to high treatment costs. If we do not intervene, projections indicate that by 2032, the number of NCD cases could increase by more than 100%, and 90% of hospital admissions would be linked to these diseases. Another example is that the direct costs of hemodialysis due to renal failure has been estimated to be around 10 million US dollars in 2024.
What steps has the government taken to combat NCDs?
In 2022, we adopted the HEARTS Initiative, a program developed by the WHO to improve early detection and management of diabetes and hypertension at the primary healthcare level. The initiative promotes standardized protocols for healthcare workers, ensuring that these conditions are identified before they become life-threatening.
In the past, there were treatment guidelines, but there was no consistent national program to ensure doctors and nurses followed the same proactive approach. Given that diabetes and hypertension are silent killers, people can live with these conditions for years without realizing it. Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in cases, particularly among young adults in their 30s. Cultural factors also play a role, as diabetes is more common among Surinamese of Asian descent, while hypertension is widespread among African and Asian descendants.
Our HEARTS Initiative has received recognition from both PAHO and the WHO for its effectiveness. We are working with both public and private healthcare providers to ensure broad implementation. However, public health interventions do not produce immediate results, so long-term commitment is necessary, regardless of changes in government. Prevention is key, as many NCDs are avoidable through healthier lifestyles.
You mentioned financial difficulties earlier. Can you elaborate on the extent of Suriname’s healthcare debt?
When we took office in 2020, we inherited a healthcare debt of approximately 65 million US dollars. This was part of a broader national financial crisis, with the previous government stepping down a month early because they could no longer pay government salaries.
Within the health sector, there were major debts to pharmaceutical suppliers, resulting in shortages of essential medicines. The WHO has a minimum Essential Medicines List (EML), and in July 2020, Suriname had only 40% of the required medications available. We also owed around 5.5 million US dollars to pharmaceutical suppliers and another 5 million US dollars to a Curacao-based company, which provides laboratory reagents. Without these payments, lab tests could not be conducted effectively.
Despite these financial burdens, we had to prioritize funding for basic healthcare services, including hospital operations and the supply of essential medications. We continue to face difficulties, but ensuring healthcare access remains our priority.
Another major issue in many countries is the migration of healthcare professionals. Has Suriname experienced brain drain in the medical field?
Brain drain is a significant challenge, and it has worsened after COVID-19. Many of our healthcare workers have migrated to higher-income countries, particularly the Netherlands, Belgium, and Dutch-speaking Caribbean islands like Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. Recruitment agencies actively target Surinamese nurses and doctors because they are highly trained and share a common language with these regions.
This has been particularly damaging to specialized departments such as emergency care, dialysis clinics, operating rooms, intensive care units, and neonatal intensive care. Even if we invest in equipment and facilities, without the necessary medical professionals, these units cannot function properly. At this point, we are not just facing brain drain—we are experiencing brain waste, as many highly trained professionals are leaving the country for better opportunities abroad. The ministry has taken different steps to mitigate the brain drain effect in healthcare, by awarding health personnel different fees and by strengthening health education institutions in hospitals.
Let’s talk about a major success for Suriname, malaria eradication. What strategies contributed to this achievement?
Suriname has a long history with malaria, given our tropical climate. Since 1999, the government has taken a structured approach to malaria elimination, with continuous efforts from multiple administrations. We established a Malaria Board and an Elimination Task Force, which provided training for healthcare workers, particularly those serving the remote hinterland where malaria was most prevalent.
One of the biggest challenges was our open borders, particularly with Guyana, French Guiana, and Brazil. The movement of people, especially gold miners, contributed to malaria transmission. To counter this, we developed the MALA Kit, an innovative self-testing kit that includes treatment instructions for people working in remote areas. Instead of chasing mobile populations, we equip them with the tools they need to test for malaria and seek medical attention when necessary.
Our success has been recognized regionally and globally. Suriname has been awarded the Malaria Champion of the Americas title three times—in 2010, 2016, and 2018. In November, we marked three years without local malaria transmission, and we have formally requested WHO certification of malaria elimination. The WHO has conducted an audit and if all goes well, Suriname will receive its Malaria free certification very soon.
Now that Suriname has achieved malaria elimination, what comes next?
The challenge is maintaining this status. Malaria elimination does not mean the disease is gone forever—it means we have successfully stopped local transmission. However, the risk remains, especially with cross-border migration and gold mining activities. Continued investment and vigilance are necessary to prevent a resurgence. We have taken steps which must lead to increased activities of malaria-ending activities in the Guyana Shield. We have enough experts who can be available for our neighbouring countries to support Malaria elimination.
Beyond health, malaria elimination has positive economic implications. It makes Suriname a more attractive destination for tourism and foreign investment, especially with the development of our oil and gas sector. Ensuring a malaria-free environment strengthens investor confidence and contributes to overall economic growth.
Could you elaborate on the recent investments made in hospitals, clinics, and medical infrastructure? How are these projects shaping the future of healthcare delivery in Suriname, and what services do you offer to the expat community?
Suriname has faced a period of underinvestment in healthcare. We have been addressing this by focusing on the digitalization of healthcare. With the financing from the IDB, we are implementing electronic health records (EHRs), starting in primary healthcare. The project aims to have a Health Information Exchange Platform, which will link all medical services across the country. This will allow for quicker access to patient data, make referrals more efficient, and provide crucial data for public health and epidemiology.
This digital health agenda runs through to 2030, and it will gradually expand to cover hospitals, clinics, labs, and radiology departments, ensuring improved healthcare delivery across the country. One of the key benefits is reducing paperwork, improving referral processes, and speeding up the availability of lab results. We have already started the implementation, with the goal to have the system in place in primary healthcare by 2025.
What other developments are happening in Suriname’s healthcare sector, and how are you managing the challenges that have persisted for so long?
Along with the digitalization, we’ve been investing heavily in the renovation and upgrading of clinics and hospitals. Suriname has nine hospitals, with seven government-owned and two private ones. The biggest one, Academic Hospital Paramaribo, serves as the main provider of medical services to 75% of the population. This hospital has been facing long-term challenges, but we have begun a process of renewing equipment and infrastructure, especially in the intensive care units, operation theaters, and cardiac surgery departments.
For instance, we recently introduced a new CT scanner, which had been non-functional for nine years. We are also working on upgrading kidney stone treatment equipment, clinical labs, and microbiology labs.
A major ongoing project includes the renovation of ‘s Lands Hospitaal, the oldest in Suriname, and we are also supporting the private Academic Hospital with new surgery equipment. The total value of the investments in our hospitals currently stands at around $65 million. These investments are essential for improving the quality and capacity of medical services in Suriname.
Suriname has a reputation for being a regional leader in certain specialized medical treatments. Can you tell us about those services?
Suriname has built a reputation over the years, especially in radiotherapy, heart surgery, and neurosurgery. For example, our radiotherapy clinic serves not only local patients but also patients from neighboring countries like French Guiana and Guyana.
We have been providing cancer treatments and have linear accelerators that are being upgraded to ensure we remain at the forefront of treatment. Additionally, we have neurosurgeons who handle complex surgeries, with patients from French Guiana and Guyana being referred to Suriname for these procedures.
We also provide pediatric heart surgeries, where we partner with medical centers in the Netherlands to bring in expertise. The Academic Hospital is well-equipped for these treatments, making us a regional leader in specialized surgeries.
In the past 3 years we were able to performance 28 kidney transplantations in collaboration with Amsterdam Universitary Medical Centre (AUMC) and the idea is to develop and invest in a transplantation unit and steps are already taken to have legal frameworks around transplantation.
How does Suriname plan to integrate its growing oil and gas sector into the healthcare system, and how do you envision this impacting the healthcare industry?
The growing oil and gas industry will significantly impact healthcare in Suriname. As we expect a surge in industry activities by 2028, the government is already working with the oil and gas companies to integrate healthcare investments. These companies have already signed MOUs with our Academic Hospital for collaboration, especially in areas of healthcare provision for their workforce.
This will help support the growth of medical services to meet the increased demand. The oil and gas sector’s involvement will provide more financial resources, enabling us to continue our investments and renovations in medical infrastructure, and it will help us meet the needs of both the local population and foreign workers.
Suriname has a small population but faces challenges in providing private healthcare services. How are you addressing these challenges, and what is your message to investors?
While private hospitals are still a challenge in Suriname due to the small population and reliance on insurance tariffs, there are opportunities for public-private partnerships (PPP). We have seen success with the MRI clinic at Academic Hospital, which has been running smoothly for over 15 years with no downtime and guarantees a social aspect, offering scans to uninsured individuals.
These kinds of partnerships show that there are significant opportunities for private investors to contribute to public health. We encourage private investors to work with the government and help address gaps in the system, whether it’s through infrastructure, specialized services, or improving medical training. This collaboration will be essential for enhancing healthcare quality and access.
What final message would you like to share with investors about Suriname’s commitment to healthcare?
Despite the challenges, we are committed to improving healthcare in Suriname. A healthy community is crucial for the development of the country, and we are dedicated to reducing the rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The government is making significant strides in training healthcare workers, including nurses, and has made remarkable progress in malaria eradication, boosting tourism confidence. We’re committed to building a sustainable healthcare system, and I believe that public-private partnerships will be key in overcoming current challenges. Suriname offers a lot of opportunities, especially in the healthcare sector, and we are eager to work together to build a stronger, healthier nation.
