Sint Vincentius Hospital

Sint Vincentius Hospital (Dutch: Sint Vincentiusziekenhuis) is a Catholic hospital in Paramaribo, Suriname, named after Saint Vincentius. It started as a Catholic charity but later became a state run hospital.

The hospital has its roots in a congregation of Sisters of Love from Tilburg who were deployed to Suriname in 1894. Out of the infirmary they started, the Sint Vincentius Hospital was founded in 1916, originally with a capacity of 70 beds.^[1] With the passing of time the hospital became more professional and shifted its focus from charity to professional medical care. The hospital was expanded in 1964, 1976 and 1978.^[2]

From August 1, 1938 to 1981, Frits Tjong-Ayong was the director of the hospital.^[3] He was the first hospital director of Chinese descent in Suriname. Under his leadership, many improvements were implemented, training programs for nurses and midwives were established, and expansions were made.^[4]

By 1974, the hospital foundation running the hospital was still part of the Roman Catholic Church. In that year, the Diocese of Paramaribo transferred the hospital from a church body into a local secular foundation with a board of lay people.^[5] It is now affiliated to the Suriname Ministry of Health.^[6] The hospital later opened a medical school on campus to give students an opportunity to study attached to a live hospital.^[5] In 2019, the hospital went on strike but it was resolved when the staff were paid a last payment they were owed.^[7] During the COVID-19 pandemic in Suriname, Sint Vincentius Hospital received a donation of medical equipment from Japan.^[8]

• Academic Hospital Paramaribo, a university hospital of Paramaribo;
• 's Lands Hospitaal, a general hospital in Paramaribo
• Diakonessenhuis, a Protestant hospital in Paramaribo