On April 25, a decisive union election at the Academic Hospital Paramaribo delivered a clear mandate to incumbent leader Lloyd Pool, who won a new term as chair of the General Union of Staff of the State-Owned Academic Hospital Paramaribo (ABPLAZ) by a wide margin. Pool secured 403 votes, outpacing challenger Mireille Tolud, who garnered 121 votes, in balloting and vote counting held at the hospital’s on-site auditorium.
This re-election will kick off Pool’s tenth consecutive year leading the labor organization, a tenure that reflects sustained trust from union members. In his first remarks after the result was confirmed, Pool extended gratitude to voters for their continued confidence in his leadership. “Today you have once again shown that ABPLAZ retains your full support,” he told attendees. “We have put in hard work over past years, but we will redouble our efforts to deliver for every member moving forward. Progress can only happen when we stand together, and that is the approach we will keep.”
Despite the clear election victory, Pool did not shy away from outlining the major challenges the union will face in his new term, identifying fair compensation for hospital staff as the most pressing issue the organization must tackle. “The core problem is funding,” he explained. “Hospital employees are not paid in line with their contributions and the cost of living, which has driven a steady outflow of skilled workers to other sectors or countries. Staff should earn enough to be able to build stable lives and own homes, and that is our non-negotiable priority.”
Beyond higher base wages, Pool also pledged to push for measurable improvements to workplace conditions and expanded secondary benefits for all ABPLAZ members. For years, the union has also been advancing a land subdivision project that will provide affordable housing opportunities for hospital staff, a initiative that has been developed in partnership with external stakeholders. Pool announced that the union will once again formally request government support to unblock the project and move it to official, full-scale development.
In closing, Pool emphasized that widespread recognition of healthcare workers’ critical contributions remains just as important as policy and wage gains. “Every single healthcare worker plays an irreplaceable role in our community,” he said. “My hope is that we can achieve fair wages and the public recognition our staff deserve, which will stop the outflow of skilled talent that is hurting our hospital and the patients who rely on it.”