In a targeted policy move to retain skilled healthcare workers and reverse the growing trend of medical brain drain, the government of Suriname has awarded official land grants to 90 nurses from the Academisch Ziekenhuis Paramaribo (AZP), the nation’s leading academic medical center. The official handover ceremony was held on Friday in the AZP auditorium, marking a key milestone in the administration’s multi-pronged strategy to improve working and living conditions for local nursing staff.
Speaking on behalf of President Jennifer Simons, Public Works and Spatial Planning Minister Stephen Tsang emphasized that the land allocation serves a dual purpose: it delivers tangible support to nurses who have continued their service through persistent challenges in Suriname’s healthcare system, and it formalizes public recognition of their irreplaceable role. “Nurses form the backbone of our entire healthcare sector,” Tsang told the gathering of recipients and hospital officials. He urged nurses to hold the allocated land for long-term family and personal development, rather than reselling it for immediate profit.
Health, Welfare and Labor Minister André Misiekaba framed the initiative within the government’s broader effort to stem the outflow of skilled healthcare professionals to higher-income foreign countries. He noted that retaining nursing staff cannot be achieved through salary increases alone; stable housing and improved quality of life are equally critical factors. “Even if a nurse receives a higher wage, if they have to spend 300 euros of that income on monthly rent, they still do not have meaningful financial security,” Misiekaba explained.
Land Policy and Forest Management Minister Stanley Soeropawiro added that secure land ownership is a foundational pillar of personal growth and long-term economic stability for working people, and that government teams have spent months streamlining application and approval processes to deliver these grants to eligible AZP nurses.
AZP Director Claudia Marica-Redan confirmed that the hospital has felt the direct impact of ongoing nurse emigration, leaving the facility stretched thin by persistent staffing gaps. She stressed that talk of retaining healthcare staff is meaningless without concrete support to help nurses build stable lives in Suriname. “We have to give them real, long-term perspective to choose to stay here,” Marica-Redan said. While celebrating the 90 grants awarded Friday, she also called attention to the fact that dozens of additional AZP nurses are still waiting for their own land allocation decisions, and she expressed hope that the remaining applications will be processed quickly in the coming weeks. Marica-Redan also voiced support for further government measures to help healthcare workers build secure futures in Suriname, beyond the current land grant program.