Curacao

We spent time in Curacao with our family. This is what we figured out about hospital.

Good to Know

Curacao is a small island and there is essentially one main hospital: Curacao Medical Center (CMC), which replaced the old St. Elisabeth Hospital in 2019. It's located in Willemstad and serves the entire island. CMC has an emergency department, pediatric ward, and most standard specialties. For anything highly specialized, patients are typically transferred to Colombia, Aruba, or the Netherlands.

Cost

Healthcare in Curacao is not cheap for uninsured visitors. An ER visit can run 300 to 800 USD or more depending on what's needed. Make sure your travel insurance covers Curacao specifically, as some policies have Caribbean exclusions. CMC will typically ask for proof of insurance or a credit card at registration. If you have Dutch or European insurance, check your coverage as Curacao is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and some policies extend here.

Practical tips

CMC is about a 15-minute drive from the resort areas along the southern coast and the Pietermaai district. Taxis are the easiest way to get there. If it's a genuine emergency, call 912 for an ambulance. For non-emergencies, there are also huisartsen (general practitioners) around Willemstad who see walk-in patients and charge less than the hospital. Your hotel front desk can usually recommend one. For kids, CMC's pediatric department is competent for standard issues like ear infections, stomach bugs, and minor injuries.

Language

Papiamentu is the local language but Dutch, English, and Spanish are all widely spoken. At CMC, you can expect to communicate in English or Dutch without any issues. Most doctors trained in the Netherlands or elsewhere in Europe.

Where to go

For anything serious, CMC is your only real option on the island. For minor issues like a bad sunburn, stomach trouble, or a kid with an ear infection, a local huisarts can handle it faster and cheaper than the hospital ER.

With kids

Curacao Medical Center (CMC) has a pediatric department. For non-emergencies, there are private pediatric clinics in Willemstad that see walk-ins. The island is small enough that you're never far from the hospital.

Hopefully you won't need any of this. But if you do, travel-er.app is built for exactly that moment.

This page is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Information may be outdated or inaccurate. Always call ahead to confirm. See our full disclaimer.

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Sources: WHO Netherlands · Curacao Medical Center