Registration for specialist centers for Long COVID patients open from November 1

Specialist centers opened for long-COVID patients. From November 1, COVID patients can apply via their GPs. The umbrella organization of UMCs NFU reported on Saturday that the first centers to open are Maastricht UMC+, Amsterdam UMC, and Erasmus MC.

The opening comes after the green light was given last week. The intention is that after the three UMCs mentioned, the other UMCs in the Netherlands will also "open their doors to long-COVID patients as soon as possible."

The experience and knowledge gained within the centers will be shared with general hospitals, general practitioners, and other healthcare providers "so that they can benefit patients as quickly as possible." There is also a collaboration with the existing post-Covid Network Netherlands. The aim is to "provide the best post-Covid care for larger groups of patients."

Patient organizations are happy. "At the same time, we also realize that the process has taken longer than we had expected and hoped. We fought hard for this, and thanks to our joint efforts, the money for the centers of expertise has been released. The opening of the first three centers of expertise is an emotional moment for long-covid patients," says Diewke de Haen on behalf of several collaborating patient organizations.

The so-called centers of expertise are currently only for adults. Unfortunately, the patient organizations report that they cannot open immediately for children. "This has the full attention of all parties."

The centers of expertise state they are working with a dynamic treatment plan. To this end, a working group of post-COVID experts has developed a care pathway together with patient organizations in recent months. "Based on scientific literature, experience at home and abroad, and expert opinions, agreements have been reached on the diagnostics and the most promising treatments to be used," the NFU said in a statement.

The then-outgoing health minister Pia Dijkstra had already reported on the establishment of the centers in July. The aim is to create a nationwide network in which knowledge and experience about long-COVID symptoms can be collected and exchanged.