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 needs are, and you can find contacts in 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)

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

This is 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 listed.

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 older adults 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 resource shortages and reduced subsidies.

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

There are four hospitals in the capital, Paramaribo, and several medical centers.

Health care in rural areas is mainly provided by a private organization called Medische Zorg, which 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 has good access to healthcare services. For instance, for 16 years in a row, the US Army comes to rural areas once a year to provide healthcare services to thousands of people in a few weeks.

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

For this reason, it is important in emergencies 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 had at least the minimum of healthcare facilities present.

Source of this information: Department of Healthcare, local government agencies, and 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,s 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 that Suriname is provided with many 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 use in gold mining.

In 202,0 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 an overview of the actual and potential health risks of the waste processing facility Ornamibo in Wanica, very close to 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 workforce in Suriname for 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 for new healthcare facilities, new training and education programs, healthcare studies, research reports, and work capacity.

Many healthcare organizations in Suriname are interested in accepting interns.

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: Netherlands Consulate in Suriname

Role: Central Coordination in the Netherlands

2. Zorginstituut

Website: https://www.zorginstituutnederland.nl/service/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://diaspora.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)

The collaboration organizations are: CareNederland, Cordaid, Kerk in Actie, Rode Kruis, OXFAM Novib, Plan International, Save the Children, Stichting Vluchteling, Terre des Hommes, UNICEF, WorldVision