Dutch gov't blind to long-term consequences of coronavirus approach: Dutch Safety Board

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Dutch government was so focused on keeping acute care available that it was blind to the other effects of its coronavirus policy. By focusing its policy on available ICU places, the government ignored other issues like health problems due to delayed care, Long Covid, and broader social problems. That is the conclusion of the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) in its third and final report on the Netherlands’ handling of the pandemic. The third report focused on the period from January 2020 to September 2022.

“During the coronavirus crisis, the Cabinet stuck to the chosen short-term strategy for too long,” the OVV concluded. “That approach meant that new risks and resulting damage were insufficiently included in the crisis approach.”

Spurred by images from Bergamo in Italy, where hospitals overflowed and there were so many Covid-19 deaths that there weren’t enough coffins in March 2020, the Cabinet wanted to prevent coronavirus patients from not having access to hospital care at all times. If there was no room in the ICUs, doctors would have to decide who to save - an almost impossible task from an ethical point of view. In the end, it never came to that.

As the coronavirus crisis continued, the government’s strategy remained unchanged even while other problems emerged. Social unrest grew due to the lockdowns, the possible introduction of a policy allowing only vaccinated people access to things like the catering industry, and the curfew. The unrest regularly devolved into violent riots. But, these problems did not play a role in developing coronavirus measures. “The Cabinet did not adjust the strategy accordingly,” the OVV said.

The OVV also criticized the government for neglecting overworked healthcare workers and delayed care. “The Cabinet did not sufficiently pick up signals from healthcare workers and continued to rely on their resilience. That is especially risky in a long-term crisis.”

In future health crises, the OVV advised the government to examine more often whether it was still on the right course. Regularly check whether the chosen goal is still the right one. With national crises, the OVV recommended spreading responsibility over the entire Cabinet - in the coronavirus pandemic, the Minister of Health had most of the burden. Explain dilemmas and risks more clearly, and also look at the social consequences of pandemic measures, not just the health risks.