SZF severs ties with RCR Zorghotel

“The State Health Insurance Fund (SZF) will no longer make use of the services of the RCR Zorghotel for the benefit of its clients,” SZF director Rick Kromodihardjo told Times of Suriname. This week or at the latest on Monday, the Zorghotel may expect an official announcement about this decision from the management team at SZF. The SZF’s clients will also be informed. Kromodihardjo said that at the beginning of June the health insurance fund was already considering ending the cooperation agreement with RCR Zorghotel. At that time, the SZF pointed out that the Zorghotel did not have the necessary facilities to offer adequate medical services. “Now that a final decision was made the location has been auctioned off and management is asking for permission to lay off all of the employees.

It is now quite clear that no agreement can be maintained with an institution that actually no longer exists,” said the director. He explained that with the looming layoffs no one is assured of medical care at the RCR Hotel anymore. “It is for these reasons that the hospital hotel can look forward to the termination of the agreement.” The nation’s biggest health insurance company had a cooperation agreement with the RCR Hotel since 2010.

The management team of the RCR Zorghotel and the General Workers’ Association (AWB) had to appear before the Dismissal Committee at the Ministry of Labour on Wednesday. AWB chairman Armand Zunder said that the management team of the RCR Hotel was a no show.

The executives had to be present at eight o’clock while the union had to be present at the Dismissal Committee an hour later. Parties have now been summoned for next Wednesday. Last week, management at the RCR Hotel requested the dismissal of 46 staff members. The executives claim that the hospital hotel can no longer keep its head above water due to financial problems.