Netherlands not ready for another pandemic

The Netherlands is facing "major challenges for infectious disease control," the Capacity Body said in a recent report. Dozens of additional infection doctors must be trained as soon as possible if the Netherlands hopes to be ready for the next pandemic, the advisory council said, AD reports.

The Capacity Body advises the government and healthcare sector on how many healthcare professionals are needed. According to the advisory council, the coronavirus pandemic "magnified preexisting bottlenecks in infectious disease control. The shortage of doctors is now even more acute."

Andre Rouvoet, chairman of health service umbrella organization GGD GHOR Nederland, agrees that more professionals need to be trained in infectious disease control. According to the GGDs, the current number of doctors trained in this field must be doubled. The Netherlands also needs more data specialists. But the GGDs don't have the money to train these professionals.

The government needs to help, Rouvoet said. "The message cannot be: thank you, great job in the next pandemic you can improvise again," Rouvoet said to AD. "We now have to hold on to what we have built."