André Misiekaba

Political background

In the news

• Friday, 6 November 2026 Health-data team contests Ramadhin’s criticism and acknowledges unfinished system integration
  Summary

  • Former health minister Amar Ramadhin asked André Misiekaba on 6 November to explain leadership, spending and implementation of IS4H and HEARTS digital-health work.
  • The IS4H technical team responded in a statement dated 7 November, reported by SUN the following day.
  • The team says GNU Health is installed in 22 of 43 RGD clinics, with 18 operational, and cites an IDB technical mission and regional awards.
  • It disputes Ramadhin’s account of progress.
  • The team also says full integration of clinic systems, the national health-information exchange and the patient portal remains in development and testing.
  • Technical changes, privacy safeguards and agreements with participating providers are still needed.
• Thursday, 5 November 2026 Work begins on Anton de Kom house replica for a travelling exhibition
  Summary

  • A scaled replica of Anton de Kom’s childhood home was launched at SAO on 5 November, ABC and De Ware Tijd report.
  • Under the Blue Surface, SAO trainees, university students and cultural organisations are collaborating, with Dutch embassy support.
  • De Ware Tijd says construction is targeted for completion by late January 2027, followed by performances on 7, 9, 11 and 13 February.
  • This is a travelling educational reconstruction; rebuilding the original house as a museum remains a separate possibility raised by the minister.
• Thursday, 5 November 2026 Misiekaba says end-November health pay reform remains uncertain
  Summary

  • Health Minister André Misiekaba told Parliament on 5 November that he could not guarantee the promised new health-worker pay scale would reach staff by the end of November, SUN reports.
  • He said hospital job grading and administrative work still needed completion before documents could go to Cebuma.
  • Health committee chair Silvana Afonsoewa pressed for timely processing after an earlier mid-2026 target had been missed.
  • The minister pledged continued work and consultation with unions if the target slips.
• Tuesday, 3 November 2026 Lawmakers challenge abrupt SZF payment stop in Diakonessenhuis dispute
  Summary

  • Diakonessenhuis surgeons suspended care for SZF patients during a payment dispute.
  • Earlier accounts differ on the start: Suriname Herald, ABC and SUN give 3 November, while GFC gives 4 November.
  • Health Minister André Misiekaba says three surgeons rejected a retroactive SRD 200,000 monthly offer after SZF stopped the earlier SRD 300,000 payment.
  • Their contracts and response to these figures remain unverified.
  • In accounts of the 5 November parliamentary discussion, Jerrel Pawiroredjo and Silvana Afonsoewa say the payment should not have been stopped before an alternative was arranged.
  • Afonsoewa wants committee scrutiny; no restored service or replacement-care arrangement is confirmed.
• Sunday, 25 October 2026 Health minister distinguishes imported malaria cases from local transmission
  Summary

  • Health Minister André Misiekaba told parliament that recently registered malaria infections were imported and that the ministry had no indication of renewed local transmission, Key News reports.
  • He said detection, treatment and follow-up protocols remained in place and that the Malaria Board's work now includes preventing re-establishment.
  • He criticised how the cases had been communicated.
  • The article supplies no case-level dataset or precise current count; it records the minister's assessment rather than an independent epidemiological verification.
• Saturday, 24 October 2026 Minister gives mid-2027 target for stronger domestic laboratory testing
  Summary

  • Health Minister André Misiekaba said a consultant would assess equipment and testing gaps across Suriname's laboratory network after the Saramacca fish-death investigation required overseas analysis.
  • StarNieuws reports a presidential target of mid-2027 for stronger domestic capacity in essential tests.
  • The minister named laboratories at AZP, LVV, CELOS and SWM among the network and said foreign testing would continue meanwhile, including work to identify the poultry influenza variant.
  • This is a capacity-building timetable and assessment phase, not completed diagnostic capability.
• Thursday, 22 October 2026 Health minister reports no confirmed human bird-flu infection in tested people
  Summary

  • Health Minister André Misiekaba told parliament that no tested person had a confirmed bird-flu infection and that available investigations had not confirmed spread beyond the original poultry site.
  • Suriname Herald reports that influenza A H5 was confirmed in poultry on 18 September, while H5N1 subtype, genetic origin and pathogenicity remained under international laboratory investigation.
  • Veterinary surveillance expanded from three to seven kilometres; exposed staff and fieldworkers were tested and monitored.
  • The minister assessed general-population risk as low while surveillance continued.
• Thursday, 17 September 2026 Suriname reportedly signed a non-binding PAHO health-cooperation strategy through 2030.
  Summary

  • Times of Suriname reported that Health Minister André Misiekaba signed the PAHO/WHO Country Cooperation Strategy 2026–2030 on behalf of the government.
  • The framework covers technical support for national health priorities, capacity and access to care, and aligns with the National Health and Wellbeing Plan 2019–2031.
  • The article expressly describes the strategy as non-binding and dependent on available funding and implementation capacity.
  • It establishes a reported cooperation framework, not guaranteed financing or delivered health improvements.
• Wednesday, 16 September 2026 Suriname reportedly plans a new nursing pay scale and specialist-training programme.
  Summary

  • Starnieuws reported Health Minister André Misiekaba's plan for a new nursing pay scale targeting monthly earnings of US$700–1,000 by the end of November, with allowances and overtime additional.
  • He linked the phased changes to retaining staff after a reported loss of nearly 1,000 nurses during 2019–2025.
  • The report also describes a planned October programme with the Netherlands to train 175 specialist nurses within a year and strengthen COVAB capacity.
  • Proposed hospital bed-rate adjustments were part of the financing approach.
  • None of these plans establishes payment, training completion or an approved tariff in practice.
• Monday, 14 September 2026 New care-sector pay-scale agreement reportedly signed
  Summary

  • Times of Suriname reported that Health Minister André Misiekaba, hospital directors and union representatives signed an agreement to implement a new care-sector pay scale.
  • Named institutions included AZP, 's Lands Hospitaal, PCS, MMC, Sint Vincentius, Diakonessenhuis, Wanica, Marwina and Atjoni hospitals, with the RGD chair also listed.
  • The report presents the agreement as a basis for further implementation.
  • It gives no payment amounts, budget or confirmed payroll results, so signature should not be conflated with completed salary changes.

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