WILLEMSTAD - The wave of high-level resignations at the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) continues. After the departures of General Director Gilbert Martina and Medical Director Ingemar Merkies, the hospital’s Chief Financial and Operations Officer, Karina Lombardi-de Freitas Brás, has also submitted her resignation.
Lombardi, who has served nearly six years as director of operations, will officially step down on January 1, 2026. Her departure follows a period marked by rising internal tensions and what insiders describe as a strained relationship between CMC’s board of directors and Minister of Finance and Health Javier Silvania (MFK).
Although the executives have declined public comment, sources close to the hospital leadership confirm that frustration has been building for some time regarding the government’s oversight and interference in operational matters.
Leadership Turnover at the Top
Martina, the former general director, has already been replaced by CEO Johan de Graaf (62), while Merkies (61) has announced he will leave officially by the end of this year. With Lombardi’s resignation, two key positions — medical director and finance and operations director — remain vacant. Recruitment processes are expected to begin soon to restore the hospital’s full board.
In a farewell statement, Lombardi, 50, expressed gratitude for her years of service:
“I look back with appreciation on an intense and valuable collaboration with colleagues and partners in and around the hospital,” she said. “I can assure everyone that responsibilities have been firmly secured within the organization to guarantee continuity.”
Financial Challenges Continue
Despite being one of the most modern hospitals in the Caribbean, the CMC has faced persistent financial struggles since opening in late 2019. Chronic budget shortfalls have prevented timely payments to CMC Vastgoed, the entity that owns the hospital building, and have hindered maintenance and replacement of medical equipment.
Observers see the recent resignations as a sign of deepening instability within the institution’s governance structure at a time when Curaçao’s healthcare system faces mounting pressure from financial constraints and policy disputes.
The Ministry of Health has yet to comment on the latest resignation.
