Everyone wants it, but it is not easy to prepare Dutch healthcare for the next pandemic. Increasing IC capacity is difficult due to staff shortages and whether mouth caps or medicines should be produced on our own soil ‘is still being investigated’.
This became clear this afternoon during a parliamentary meeting about better care in times of crisis. The PVV is launching an initiative for less market forces and more central management, many parties share the concerns about the fragmented Dutch health care system.
But a number of the most important corona lessons – less dependence on foreign countries and more IC capacity – prove difficult to implement. For example, it is questionable whether the Netherlands will produce more medicines and protective equipment on its own soil.
“We are now investigating the pros and cons of stockpiling emergency stocks and, where necessary, production close to home,” said Health Minister Ernst Kuipers (D66) in response to questions from the CDA. MP Joba van den Berg (CDA) pointed out that a mouth mask factory in Arnhem threatens to close if the Netherlands does not decide quickly. “If they don’t hear something soon, it will stop for them. It seems to me a great pity, now we are buying again in China. Why do we get mouth masks from China if there is a factory in Arnhem?” Kuipers was unable to comment on that specific case.
Structurally increasing the number of IC places
The structural increase of the number of intensive care places is also complicated. The Netherlands had 1150 IC beds available on paper pre-corona, of which about 1050 were in use. On average, 850 to 900 were occupied. That turned out to be far too little for a pandemic.
After the Covidhausse, equipment, beds and spaces have been arranged for 1,700 IC places. But if they are all scheduled, it will be seriously at the expense of other departments, Kuipers warned. ,,We are talking about highly educated staff, there is a shortage. So if you now scale up at the IC, in the operating room or emergency room, you have to scale down elsewhere.”
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Flexible model
That is why Kuipers does not want those 1700 IC beds available on a structural basis. “That means an enormous amount of effort on staff, and a lot of unused beds.” The minister prefers to opt for a flexible model, in which the IC capacity is temporarily increased with the help of reservists, medical students or other outpatients.
Parties in the House point out, however, that the recruitment of extra people is not going well either. “We would now have 1400 reservists, while according to the plan 5000 are needed,” said VVD MP Jeroen van Wijngaarden. But there is ‘more to it’, promised Minister Conny Helder for Long-term Care (VVD).
The cabinet will later come up with more detailed plans for pandemic preparedness.
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