It’s common ground that many internationals in the Netherlands share, despite their varying cultural backgrounds: Dutch healthcare can sometimes feel a bit… lacking.
This was the opinion that was followed by applause during an English-language local election debate in Eindhoven’s council chamber, according to AD.
When election candidates were asked to answer “yes” or “no” to the whether they believed foreign workers were satisfied with the Dutch healthcare system, the answers were a resounding “no.” The audience made sure their agreement was clear with a round of applause.
But what is it that has internationals feeling this way about the Dutch healthcare system?
Pop a paracetamol and you’ll be fine
It’s a joke many internationals make about trips to the doctor in the Netherlands: “They’ll only tell you to take a paracetamol and send you on your way.” But for many, it’s rooted in the reality of their experience here.
Dutch doctors are reluctant to overtreat a patient, and while your home country may be quick to prescribe a round of antibiotics, the Dutch are much more strict about who gets them.
While the alternative advice to drink fluids and take a paracetamol might be annoying, this is because the Dutch want to avoid people developing antibiotic resistence. In other words, it’s ultimately for our own good.
A common area of culture shock
Miriam Frosi, an Italian expat council member for the CDA in Eindhoven tells AD of her experience:
“When children in Italy catch a cold, their parents immediately put them in front of a nebulizer. Many families also keep a supply of antibiotics at home, because Italian doctors prescribe them much more readily than here. I experienced that my children also got better on their own, without immediately resorting to medication. I am now glad that they didn’t get so many antibiotics in their bodies.”
Meanwhile, fellow CDA councilor Chaitali Sengupta from India, agrees. She points out that many Indians in the Netherlands are concerned by Dutch doctors’ reluctance to prescribe medication, first suggesting lifestyle changes before they offer prescribe anything.
Vishwanath Nammakal Gopalakrishna of the Indian Center in NL (ICIN) also points to the lack of annual check-ups as something that confuses many Indians in the Netherlands, telling AD:
“With such check-ups, you can prevent complaints from potentially becoming complex later on. I know many Indian expats who undergo such check-ups or other treatments during their vacation in India, because they do not receive a referral here.”
You need a referral before you go anywhere
This leads to another pain point for many internationals in the Dutch healthcare system.
Got a strange looking mole? You can’t just book an appointment with a dermatologist, you have to see your doctor first. Period issues? Nope, head to the doctor before the gynaecologist. Pain in your knee? Forget that physio, you have to call your doctor.
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General practitioner Atiq Homa explains to AD that this leads to uncertainty among internationals about who to approach when they feel they need to go to hospital:
“For example, they have no close relatives or family here who can help if their child is sick. You see that in those cases, internationals are quick to call 112 or the out-of-hours GP service, out of uncertainty. I understand it, but it is simply not customary in the Netherlands to do it that way.”
Better understanding of the Dutch healthcare system is needed
According to Dr Homa, internationals in the Netherlands need to better understand the basic principle of the Dutch healthcare system. “You are fundamentally healthy, and with a healthy lifestyle, you have a lower chance of developing health problems: that is the basic principle here,” he says.
Eindhoven city councilor Alina Totti (D66), who originally comes from Romania, points out that many migrant workers, specifically from Eastern Europe, don’t even realise they have a right to healthcare here.
“They often do not know that they are required to take out health insurance here and that they have the right to see a general practitioner. Migrant workers only seek care when they already have a major medical problem. There is a great deal of suspicion towards medical authorities,” she tells AD.
She points out that an explanation of how the Dutch healthcare system works needs to be better highlighted to internationals in the Netherlands.
Veronica Albrecht-Borth, project leader at Stroomz tells AD that “The most important thing is that we — international patients and doctors — get to know and trust each other better. Everyone must be able to receive good care. Yet people do not always feel sufficiently heard. Let us see that as a signal.”
Stroomz is working in collaboration with Maastricht University, the Municipality of Eindhoven, the GGD, health insurers, and regional healthcare group Pozob to look at how the GP organisation can improve internationals’ experience of Dutch healthcare, and how it can be made more accessible.
What do you think of the Dutch healthcare system? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
