Second wave will soon put regular care at risk: health authorities

If the number of coronavirus infections does not fall quickly, people may soon be unable to get the regular care they need, the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate and Dutch healthcare authority NZa warned in a letter to Minister Tamara van Ark for Medical Care, ANP reports.

Hospitals are currently still able to provide most of the treatments that have to be performed within six weeks, but it is "a shaky balance", the health authorities said. Because illness and stress is causing absenteeism among healthcare workers. Hospitals are also noticing more and more burnout symptoms among employees.

Since the start of the coronavirus epidemic in the Netherlands, general practitioners referred far fewer people to hospitals and mental health services. Referrals dropped by an estimated 1.1 million.

Earlier on Tuesday, public health institute RIVM released a report stating that an estimated 50 thousand healthy years of life will eventually be lost due to postponed regular care in the first coronavirus wave.