NDP MP Silvana Afonsoewa has called on the government to ensure that healthcare workers can genuinely count on the promised new pay scale at the end of November.
According to her, the administrative preparations must be completed in time to prevent delays in salary payments. She also urgently calls attention to the conflict between the Staatsziekenfonds (SZF, State Health Insurance Fund) and three surgeons at the Diakonessenhuis, as a result of which SZF-insured persons can no longer use their services.
Afonsoewa, also chair of the standing parliamentary committee for Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Arbeid (Public Health, Welfare and Labour), raised both issues during a meeting of De Nationale Assemblée (DNA, Suriname’s parliament) on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Timely processing of new pay scale necessary
According to the MP, the government has promised that healthcare workers will notice an improvement in their salaries at the end of November. However, she fears that the implementation of this commitment may be jeopardised if the administrative processing does not take place in time.
Afonsoewa pointed out that fixed deadlines apply within the government for salary data to be processed by the Centraal Bureau voor Mechanische Administratie (Cebuma, Central Bureau for Mechanical Administration). The hospitals also need sufficient time to adjust their administration. She believes that the government should therefore not wait until the end of the month to announce any problems with implementation. According to her, it should already be clear now whether all necessary documents and administrative procedures can be completed in time.
Earlier, the government, healthcare institutions and trade unions reached an agreement on the introduction of a new pay scale. The arrangements are intended to lead to fairer and more balanced remuneration for healthcare employees. Minister André Misiekaba of Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Arbeid stated during the DNA meeting that the government is doing everything possible to introduce the new pay scale at the end of November. However, according to reports on November 5, he was not yet able to guarantee that the adjusted salaries would actually be paid out that month.
Concerns over suspension of cooperation with surgeons
In addition to the pay issue, Afonsoewa raised the conflict between the SZF and the surgeons of the Diakonessenhuis. As committee chair, she has received a letter on the matter. According to her, the current situation is the result of decisions taken under the previous Minister of Public Health. However, she believes that the current government remains responsible for resolving the problems that have arisen.
The three surgeons have suspended their services to SZF-insured persons because of a dispute over their remuneration. As a result, patients insured by the SZF are currently unable to use the services of these specialists at the Diakonessenhuis. Afonsoewa stressed that the surgeons concerned perform complex operations and that patients must not become the victims of a financial dispute.
Afonsoewa: specialists must be paid properly
The MP, who herself has experience in healthcare, indicated that she does not want the discussion to revolve solely around the level of specialists’ fees. According to her, skilled surgeons and other medical specialists must be properly remunerated for their work and responsibilities. At the same time, she made it clear that she is not in favour of specialists viewing healthcare solely as a profitable enterprise.
She criticised the decision to halt payments through the SZF before a solution had been reached. Afonsoewa said she had expected Minister Misiekaba to first seek a solution before such measures were taken. The MP stressed that a change of government does not mean that previously entered obligations can be set aside without consequences. According to her, the continuity of government policy must be guaranteed.
Minister wants clarity on remuneration
According to Minister Misiekaba, the conflict concerns a monthly fee of SRD 300.000 per surgeon, which was paid on the basis of earlier agreements. The minister wants clarity about the medical procedures for which these amounts are being paid.
The minister previously proposed temporarily paying the surgeons concerned SRD 200.000 per month, but they did not agree. The SZF is now examining how affected patients can be accommodated at other healthcare institutions. Key News previously reported extensively on Misiekaba’s criticism of the surgeons and the stalled consultations on their remuneration.
Parliamentary committee seeks clarification
Afonsoewa urged the government not to underestimate the problem. She wants access to specialised surgical care for SZF-insured persons to be restored as soon as possible. During her contribution, she announced that the standing committee for Public Health would discuss the matter further. The committee wants to be extensively informed about the situation that has arisen and possible solutions.
According to the official agenda of De Nationale Assemblée, a committee meeting was scheduled for Friday, November 6, with Minister Misiekaba, his experts and SZF director Minouche Dihal-Bromet.
Afonsoewa stressed that both the appreciation of medical specialists and the accessibility of healthcare deserve attention. She believes that financial disagreements must not be at the expense of patients who depend on specialised medical treatments.
