WILLEMSTAD, June 3, 2026 – Approximately 29 beds at Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) are currently occupied by patients who have completed their medical treatment but cannot yet be discharged due to limited availability of , among others, nursing home or hospice. This prolonged occupancy places sustained pressure on hospital capacity and directly affects the admission of new patients. This results into cancelation of surgeries and increase waiting times.
According to the Board of Directors of CMC: “The continued occupancy of beds by patients who are medically fit for discharge is a grave concern. This is not an incidental bottleneck, but a structural strain on the entire healthcare chain, with direct consequences for the accessibility of acute and specialized care. When beds are not made available in a timely manner, patients in need of care face unnecessary delays in their treatment. This problem requires immediate and coordinated action across the entire healthcare system to restore safe and responsible patient flow.”
Some patients remain in hospital for extended periods, in certain cases months, despite being medically ready for discharge. CMC has released a podcast episode, “Puntra un Eksperto,” with the Manager of the Capacity Planning Department and a nurse from the Oncology Department go more into detail about the impact of bed occupancy on patient flow and patient care.
The podcast is available via Facebook: Curaçao Medical Center – Publication date June 3rd, 2026.
