In Suriname, the Ministry of Health does not give mental health due consideration. The government of Suriname does not have a mental health policy, according to Maja Heijmans-Goedschalk, chairman of the Surinamese Association of Psychologists and Orthopedagogues (SVPO). Heijmans-Goedschalk claims that while more people are making the decision to seek professional assistance, we have made no progress in making such care more widely available to society. On the contrary, it is getting more and more difficult to pay a professional for the service they provided.
“It appears that the Ministry of Health is completely unconcerned. Insurance companies do not feel under any need to pay psychologists back. The taboo atmosphere surrounding visiting a professional when someone has mental problems has broken down over the years in Suriname, but the policy is missing.
