New coronavirus patients in the north of the Netherlands will now receive care at only two hospitals in Groningen. Three northern hospitals will return to regular care.
Hospitals in Assen, Emmen, and Scheemda will not move their current coronavirus patients. However, newly diagnosed cases requiring hospitalization will now be redirected to UMCG or Martini Hospital in Groningen, reports RTV Drenthe.
The move will reduce pressure and resources on hospitals so they can return to general hospital duties. For example, it is estimated that 70% of regular treatments were postponed while attention was on coronavirus.
Attending to cancer patients will be a high priority for the hospitals, but the main practitioners will make decisions about who is prioritised.
According to surgeon Ger Sieders of the UMCG, the move will be better for the hospitals and the patients. “Clustering patients allows you to optimize care. It is better to have a larger group than a single patient with a particular condition,” he says.
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