National Healthcare System Suriname

Introduction

Suriname is constantly in direct need of various basic medical care supplies, equipment and personnel.

On this page you find what their need is and you can find contacts on healthcare in Suriname.

25 juli 2022 - Academic Hospital Paramaribo (AZP) in Suriname is urgently looking for 5 pediatric IC Nurses

About NHS Suriname

The National Healthcare System (NHS) in Suriname needs modernization.

In Suriname the NHS is abbreviated with VG (from the Dutch word Volksgezondheid)

In order to be able to modernize the NHS in Suriname, international collaboration is required.

This in the areas of capacity, expertise, education, research, build-up of new facilities and institutions, investment and funding.

To enable international collaboration, the NHS in Suriname is made more open and accessible with the information on this page.

Next to that on this page important healthcare organizations and contacts from other countries are put on this page.

In this way people in healthcare from different countries can more easily create relationships, form networks, exchange knowledge & expertise and improve the NHS in Suriname.

Highlights on NHS Suriname

Here is a download of the recent law on Healthcare

The healthcare system in Suriname is the responsibility of the Ministry of Healthcare (VG).

In Suriname, health care in principle is accessible to all Surinamese.

Young and elderly people are insured at the expense of the state.

The quality of health care appears to have declined sharply in recent years.

For example, certain medical procedures cannot be performed in hospitals due to a shortage of work materials.

Certain medicines are also sometimes not available. This is mainly due to a shortage of resources and reduced subsidies.

Doctors (General Practitioners) care for large numbers of patients in some places.

There are four hospitals in the capital Paramaribo and also a number of medical centers.

Health care in rural areas is mainly provided by a private organization called Medische Zorg, it is a medical mission.

Various medical posts in the villages on the Upper Suriname River provide medical assistance to the inland residents.

This does not mean that everyone in rural areas have good access to healthcare services. For instance, already 16 years in a row the US Army comes for once a year to rural areas to provide in a few weeks healthcare services at once to thousands of people.

Some villages are a four hours drive away from Paramaribo, such as the Maroon village Djoemoe, which is only accessible by boat.

For this reason, it is important in emergency situations that the patient can be brought to Paramaribo as quickly as possible.

Of course it would be better if every district and large resort in Suriname would have at least the minimum of healthcare facilities present.

Source of this information: department of Healthcare, local government agencies and local residents

Ambulances

Currently (26/7/2022) many people in Suriname have no access to Emergency Response.

Some districts are large in size and hard to travel because of rainforest, waterways and lack of roads.

The time it takes for an ambulance to reach the people is quickly over 4 hours.

Below is a list of ambulances in Suriname per district:

District	Ambulances	Size (km2)	Population
Brokopondo	0	7364	15000
Commewijne	?	2353	32000
Coronie	0	3902	3400
Marowijne	?	4627	19000
Nickerie	?	5353	35000
Para	?	5393	25000
Paramaribo	?	182	241000
Saramacca	?	3636	18000
Sipaliwini	0	130567	37000
Wanica	?	443	118000

It is very urgent Suriname is provided with much more ambulances and maintenance materials.

Source: Department of Health (VG) Suriname

List of Hospitals and Clinics in Suriname

Every hospital and clinic in Suriname is in direct need of help because of shortages.

Hospital	Location	Main Concern
's Lands Hospitaal	Paramaribo	?
Academisch Ziekenhuis Paramaribo	Paramaribo	?
Sint Vincentius Ziekenhuis	Paramaribo	?
Diakonessenhuis	Paramaribo	?
Mungra Medisch Centrum	Nieuw-Nickerie	?
Pietronella Ziekenhuis Wageningen	Wageningen	?
Streekziekenhuis Marwina	Albina	?
Atjoni Ziekenhuis	Atjoni	?
Regionaal Ziekenhuis Wanica	Lelydorp	?
Militair Hospitaal Dr. F.A.C. Dumontier	Paramaribo	?
Psychiatrisch Centrum Suriname	Paramaribo	?

Clinic	Location	Main Concern
Medische Zending Suriname	Rural Areas	?
Regionale Gezondheidsdienst	Coastal Areas	?
Detoxificatie Kliniek	Paramaribo	?

Healthcare Policy

The current health minister is Amar Ramadhin. The health care director is Rakesh Gajadhar Sukul

This is the released Policy Plan on Healthcare (2021 - 2025) in Suriname.

In May 2021 a plan for short term emergency help and long term policy for regular healthcare was in development, but not yet published.

The sooner this plan and policy document is published the better other countries and healthcare organizations can help.

Many studies and research on healthcare situations have not been done yet and many reports have not been written yet.

The Meki Tamara

Already in 2005 various articles (mercury contamination) appeared in the news about health issues concerning people eating fish with a high percentage of mercury. This mercury originates mainly from usage in gold mining activities.

In 2020 a project was done to study the impact of chemical and non-chemical environmental exposures on mother/child dyads in Suriname.

Here you can read more about this: Mercury Levels in Women and Children from Interior

Ornamibo

Currently (25 jul 2022) there is no official report that provides insight and overview in the actual and potential health risks of the waste processing facility Ornamibo in Wanica, very close the Suriname River and lying within an urban area.

1. Available Healthcare Research Reports

Demographic Data 2013-2016

- no long term plan or new government healthcare policies document is available on the internet.

2. Current status of Healthcare Capacity

- There is not enough manpower in Suriname on Healthcare in every role. Short term, mid term and long term.

3. Current status of Healthcare Expertise and Education

- no data available -

4. Current status of Healthcare Facilities and Institutions

- no data available -

5. Current status of Healthcare Investments and Funding

- no data available -

5. Current Healthcare Opportunities

Investors, entrepreneurs, students and volunteers are invited to come to Suriname.

There is a great need in new healthcare facilities, new training and education programs, healthcare studies and research reports and work capacity.

Many healthcare organizations in Suriname are interested to accept internships.

Healthcare contacts in Suriname

Primary Health Care

Providing Healthcare in rural areas

Website: http://www.medischezending.sr/

the Hospital in Paramaribo, Sint Vincentius Hospital, the Diakonessenhuis and 's Lands Hospital

Healthcare contacts in The Netherlands

1. Surinamese Embassy

Ambassador Mr. R. Khargie

Website: http://netherlands.consulate.gov.sr/

Role: Central Coordination in the Netherlands

2. Zorginstituut

Website: https://www.zorginstituutnederland.nl/contact

3. Volksgezondheid- en Zorg Info

Website: Volksgezondheid en Zorg

4. Zorgorganisaties en website

Website: https://zorgen.nl/

5. Diaspora Group "Heart for Suriname"

Coordinator: Jay Paladsingh

Website: -

Role: Diaspora Organization and Advisory for the Government

6. SU4SU

Website: https://su4su.sr/

Role: Raising funds and providing medical goods

7. RIVM

How healthcare is organized in The Netherlands

RIVM: Contacts

Toekomstbestendige zorg

8. GIRO 555 - Samenwerkende Hulporgaisaties (SHO)

Website: Contact Informatie

The collaboration organizations are: CareNederland, Cordaid, Kerk in Actie, Rode Kruis, OXFAM Novib, Plan Internaton, Save The Children, Stichting Vluchteling, Ter Des Hommes, Unicef, WorldVision