SRD 25 million for AZP Situation remains precarious

The situation at the Academic Hospital Paramaribo (AZP) remains precarious even though the government has transferred SRD 25 million to the accounts of the hospitals creditors. AZP’s general director Antoine Brahim explained that the financial injection would bring some relief in the short term which is for the next 2 to 3 months but that the hospital’s income would remain precarious in the long term. He hopes that the financial injection would enable the creditors to deliver new supplies of essential medicines, food, medical supplies on credit. The ‘persistent’ shortage of medical supplies has led to improvisations at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Emergency Room (SEH) and the operating room. Due to the shortage and a delay in maintenance, the hospital could not guarantee an optimal service to its patients. “This week the hospital had to postpone the elective heart surgeries until further notice. For several weeks the hospital has not been able to run all lab tests. Our physicians and nurses also work under very difficult circumstances,” said Brahim on Friday. He added that the hospital’s debts at the local banks have exceeded the credit ceiling some time ago. Brahim hopes that the SRD 25 million injection will help the hospital to regain the trust of its creditors. SRD 10 million will go to local creditors such as the National Blood Bank, Milk Central and bread suppliers. “The rest will go to foreign creditors. I am glad that the government is transferring the money because it is a huge headache to purchase US dollars,” said Brahim. The nation’s biggest hospital is happy with the efforts of the Ministry of Health and the Finance Ministry to address the issue. Brahim made it clear that the “hospital is not begging but that it is simply asking for payments that it is entitled to for services rendered.” He explained that the tariffs for the services date back to 3 years ago and that they are much higher now.