Hospitals very busy on Sunday due to slipperiness

Because of the slippery streets, bike paths, sidewalks and curbs, as well as the last ditch effort by some people to skate on natural ice, hospitals in the Netherlands were extremely busy on Sunday and the overnight period including early Monday. As a precaution, many departments had already deployed more people for emergency help (SEH), so it was possible to provide care to everyone, according to a survey of about 50 of the 70 hospitals in the Netherlands by ANP.

The Beatrix Hospital in Gorinchem said it was "unbelievably busy" in their first aid center. "We had already been getting many people there due to the coronavirus and the flu, and now with the slipperiness, it became even busier. We saw a lot more fractures than usual. In the whole region, ambulances sometimes had to drive on to different hospitals. That cost a lot of time while the patients kept coming."

The Ikazia Hospital confirmed the same in Rotterdam, which is under the same care region as Gorinchem. "Some people went to their GP on Monday morning and have since been sent through. Some people want to see how it goes at home and may decide to visit the hospital. It is still hectic, and that goes for every SEH in the area."

Westeinde Hospital in The Hague has treated hundreds of people with broken bones and bruises in recent days. On Friday alone, 267 people came in with injuries sustained because of the winter weather. "It has been hectic; this was also an extreme situation for us."

The Haga Hospital in The Hague was also "extremely busy" with extra staff on the floor. On Friday, the hospital treated 243 people, about twice as many as on a normal weekday.

The St. Antonius hospital in Nieuwegein and Utrecht treated "Around double as many patients as is usually the case" for a period including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Alrijne in Leiden also said it was about two or three times as busy compared to a normal weekend.

The Amphia hospital in Breda and the Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland in Rotterdam were also very busy on Sunday evening. The Franciscus expects it to be very busy in the operating room for the next few days "because of the patients that need to be operated on for a fracture. This is mainly on the hips, wrists, and ankles."

Also, the Dijklander hospital in Hoorn and Purmerend said it had "A jam-packed weekend." Medical Spectrum Twente in Enschede treated many people with minor fractures, as well as people hurt in more severe vehicular accidents caused by icy conditions.

The Martini hospital in Groningen had a "busier weekend than normal," especially on Sunday afternoon. "Sunday, we saw around 20 patients with injuries due to falling on the ice or the slippiness." The Bravis in Roosendaal and Bergen op Zoom said that the busyness was manageable on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, but then Sunday night was much more intense.

Other hospitals that were busier than usual include the OLVG, the Amsterdam UMC, and the VUmc, all in Amsterdam, as well as the Groene Hart Hospital in Gouda, the St. Jans Gasthuis in Weert.

Other hospitals say that they were not too busy, like Heerenveen’s Tjongerschans and the Tergooi in Hilversum said they were expecting more patients. The Isala hospital (Zwolle and Meppel) spoke of a "normal night and morning" on Monday, with seven people forced to the first aid due to injuries caused by the slipperiness.

The Wilhelmina hospital in Assen had a "good weekend," albeit with "the usual busyness, and of course some extra skating accidents, but no overflowing waiting rooms." The Medical Centre in Leeuwarden also said it did not have an extreme level of business due to the weather.