History

The Sint Vincentius Hospital was established by a Roman Catholic mission from the Netherlands. The Roman Catholic mission has been involved in healthcare in Suriname since the 19th century. The mission already had experience in caring for lepers and it was mainly the Sisters of Charity from Tilburg who were active in this endeavor. The Roman Catholic mission provided its services from two buildings at Gravenstraat, but at the beginning of the 20th century the need was felt for its own hospital. A piece of land behind the Cathedral was designated for this purpose. The St. Vincentius Hospital was finally built on 19 July 1916. When the St. Vincentius Hospital was founded, it was under the inspiring leadership of the Sisters of Charity. The original hospital had 70 beds and had the characteristic of a nursing hospital. The hospital soon managed to gain a good reputation in the Surinamese community. The hospital was expanded in the 1950s with a financial boost from the Welfare Fund. Organizational changes also occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1974 the hospital was transferred by the Roman Catholic Diocese to the St. Vincentius Hospital Foundation. From that moment on, the management of the hospital was completely in Surinamese hands.