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Suriname Expat Health Insurance

Located just above the equator at the top of South America, with Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, French Guiana to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Suriname is wholly within the tropics. A small country with a population of just under half a million, Suriname has a lot of untouched natural beauty to offer. Lush tropical rain forests cover about 80% of the country. There are also rugged mountains, vast marshes and mangrove forests, and river deltas to explore which are habitat to a vast array of wildlife, earning the Central Suriname Nature Preserve UNESCO World Heritage Site status for its unspoiled grandeur. This preservation is thanks to protection from the government which has declared over 12% of the country to be protected. The cities along the coast that served as colonial outposts during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries likewise have well preserved and interesting architecture to take in. While definitely still a developing country, Suriname's hopes are that the economy will continue to grow due to eco-tourism and export of raw materials, thus facilitating further improvements in quality of life.

Suriname Healthcare System and information

Currently, Suriname's health system is considered to insufficient for the needs of its people. This is a common problem for countries which rely on such a small workforce and little infrastructure to make a living. Without considerable capitol to work with, the government has fallen into the situation of merely being able to perform “damage control” on the population's health, rather than being able to entirely overhaul the health system as it has stated is its goal. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and the Bureau of Public Health some of their efforts have paid off, children are mostly vaccinated and some preventative health measures as well as education have helped to reduce or eradicate many of the diseases that are endemic of tropical locales. Medical care is also offered for the poor at or nearly free of charge in an effort to allay the common practice of the poverty stricken to wait until their medical situation is dire to see a doctor or go to a hospital because of fear of cost.

There are currently five hospitals in Suriname, three public and two private, along with a total of over 40 clinics spread throughout the eight coastal districts. Medical care in the interior regions of Suriname is extremely scarce due to remote location and sparse population. Most facilities are not up to the standards of developed countries and luxuries such as air-conditioning and private rooms are not the norm. When they are available, they will usually incur additional cost. The public Academic Hospital, known in the local Dutch as Academisch Ziekenhuis, is located in the capitol city of Paramaribo. It has approximately 400 patient beds offering primary and tertiary care and the only emergency room in the country. There are departments for internal medicine, surgery, laboratory testing, OBGYN and birthing, pediatrics, imaging, physical therapy, dialysis, and pharmaceuticals, and even performs some specialty treatments such as heart surgery with regularity. This is the largest and most advanced hospital in Suriname, but even it at times has difficulty dealing with some situations and an ever present shortage of imported medicines plagues the entire country. The other two public hospitals are not readily accessible as one is a psychiatric facility and the other is in the service of military personnel and veterans.

As for the two private hospitals, the larger is the Diakonessen Hospital also located in Paramaribo with 227 beds available. While private, this hospital works on a contract with the government to administer care for residents of the interior regions of the country and care is not as easily accessible as the Academic Hospital. Additionally, its offerings and capabilities are more limited. Therefore, anyone living along the coastal areas and all visitors are advised against seeking care at this hospital unless given prior referral as it may not be able or allowed to treat you. Nickerie Hospital, located very close to the Guyana border in Niew Nickerie, is a very small private venture hospital offering about 75 patient beds and specializing in dialysis. It has announced in January of 2011 that it hopes to attract medical tourism in the form of patients from neighboring Guyana and the Netherlands seeking low cost dialysis treatment. Aside from this treatment, little else is offered in the form of specialty care and this hospital is only equipped to treat basic health care needs.

Suriname Medical Insurance Concerns

Most in Suriname receive health care coverage in one form or another from the government. While a universal plan is not in place, as mentioned before, the poor are entitled to basic care free of charge which essentially turns the government payout into a public Suriname medical insurance program for approximately 40% of its poorest inhabitants. Another 35% have coverage from the State Health Insurance Fund which provides benefits for the employed who are enrolled and pay into the system. Thus about 75% of the health care in the country is partly or wholly subsidized by the government, though it admits that it is an inefficient and problematic arrangement. Another 20% purchase private third party Suriname health insurance coverage from one of the many domestic or international companies that are available. The primary reason that almost all of the population is covered in some form or fashion is that all treatment must have payment arranged prior to receipt by the patient. The meaning here is: without funds, the hospital can deny anyone treatment, regardless of medical condition.

It is therefore the course of caution for anyone traveling to Suriname to purchase sufficient coverage of traveler's or expatriate medical insurance for the entirety of their stay if not already covered by an international health insurance plan. In an emergency situation, a hold up in payment can have disastrous effects. Anyone requiring treatment in Suriname should be aware that all foreigners are excluded from free domestic health care coverage and that anyone needing treatment, even for emergencies will need to arrange their own payment. Longterm care can easily add up to a large expense.

A brief look at a map will reveal that there are scarce few roads in Suriname, and only about one fourth of them are paved. During the rainy seasons, many are impassable even by four wheel drive truck. This should help you to get a grasp of the remoteness that a trip into the interior entails. Most trips into the heart of Suriname are made by boat up its long river passages. This is especially popular with tourists wanting to see the preserved beauty of the rain forests and many tour outfits offer multi-day trips with this in mind which are highly popular. It is advisable for anyone traveling any distance away from Paramaribo to purchase air ambulance and emergency evacuation insurance as the dangers of a multi-day boat trip back to the hospital in case of emergency are considerable, and there are very few domestic emergency services available anywhere in Suriname. Air ambulance coverage is thus a wise investment as the out of pocket cost can be astronomical should your condition require transport by plane or helicopter.

Suriname Travel Advice

The weather in Suriname is tropical, thus warm and humid year round and heavy rainstorms are common. Visitors should pack accordingly. Tap water is not considered safe to drink and should be chemically treated or boiled and filtered prior to drinking. Sanitation levels are still quite low outside of the cities and most human waste does not get treated prior to being disposed of into the Suriname River and its lesser tributaries. This fact along with the common instance of parasitic Schistosoma in freshwater makes swimming a risky proposition in streams and lakes.

While occurrence of some tropical diseases has been drastically reduced, it is still advisable that all visitors receive vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, malaria, rabies, typhoid, tetanus, and yellow fever and bring all vaccine cards as they are frequently required to be presented prior to entry into the country. Regarding visas, all most all nationalities require a visa to be applied for and purchased prior to admittance into Suriname. Consult your home counties Suriname embassy or consular office for exact details and requirements. Lastly, Suriname is a stable and fairly safe country, but all usual precautions should be taken when traveling abroad as burglary and armed robbery have occurred on occasion and foreigners are likely targets as locals often think of them as wealthy.

Suriname Expat Health Insurance

The key to all good plans lies in the preparation. If you are planning to visit or relocate to Suriname or any other location worldwide, Global Health Insurance has Suriname expat health insurance packages as well as international health insurance plans to fit any need. If you need coverage in Suriname, expat health insurance we work with can provide extensive coverage options with high benefit levels. We have consultants who will help you, at no charge, to find the coverage that best fits your circumstances, budget, and travel plans.