The Indian community in Eindhoven has serious doubts about the healthcare system in the Netherlands. But one general practitioner in Blixembosch seems to be popular, doctor Malyar.
Aryan Malyar is a hit with the international community in Eindhoven. Indians, in particular, find his general practice comfortable. Malyar himself came to Eindhoven with his family from Kabul, Afghanistan, when he was ten. He grew up here in the Achtse Barrier.
Partly because of that background, things are booming at his general practice in Blixembosch. He has a good reputation, especially with the Indian expat community. “But that’s not necessarily because I’m so special,” says Malyar. “I live in a neighbourhood where an expat community is emerging. Many Indians here are looking for a GP, while many practices are no longer accepting new patients.”
Persia
Yet his popularity certainly has to do with his cultural background. “I also speak Hindi myself, and I understand their humour, concerns and cultural do’s and don’ts. There are a lot of similarities with Afghanistan. Afghanistan, together with Iran and Pakistan, belonged to the Persian empire, which for a time also controlled northern India,” he explains.
Winter
One of his patients is Priya Mohan. She has lived in Eindhoven for about 13 years and went through four different GPs until she ended up at Malyar. “I have a daughter who was two years old when we moved here. At one point, she repeatedly suffered from colds and fever. Then she was ill for ten days, recovered for a week, after which she became ill again. It happened this way 5 or 6 times. It was winter, and the doctor said it was due to the season, that it was normal, and that there was nothing we could do about it.”
“At one point my husband became restless because the doctor did nothing, we thought she should at least do a blood test,” says Mohan. “We finally got it upon insistence. We then received a call from the GP, and it turned out that she had a serious bacterial infection. Then we had to go to Catharina Hospital for more tests. She should have been helped sooner, then it wouldn’t have been so serious.”
Circular saw
“I think people feel heard with me,” says Malyar. “The Dutch approach to healthcare is often met with misunderstanding. I recently saw a video by an American comedian about the Dutch GP. In that prank, someone had lost four fingers with a circular saw. He went to the doctor, and the doctor asked: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ That is, of course, an exaggeration, but it is often how people from outside experience Dutch healthcare.”
Cut costs
On the other hand, Malyar believes that the Dutch approach does have advantages. “Indian patients also ask me for my telephone number. In their home country, they are used to having their GP available 24 hours a day. I then explain to them that I am not giving out my number because things are arranged differently here. We try to provide care to everyone here, but at the same time, keep costs down. And that system also has its advantages.”
However, the general practitioner believes it is important to always be open to the opinions of his patients. “I don’t protect my position tooth and nail. I can explain to my patients how things are arranged here. But if someone comes by with their child once, twice and a third time, I won’t send him away. But I also don’t give him antibiotics if it isn’t necessary. I’m trying to find a happy medium. Those people just want to make sure everything is okay.”
“What people have to get used to is that in the Netherlands, we focus a lot on a strong first line of care: that is the general practitioner here. The second line is the hospital, and the third is the academic hospital. But the general practitioner must be responsible for the second and third lines. absorb a lot,” Malyar explains.
“We are also well trained for this, you study medicine here for six years and then do another three years of further training before you can become a general practitioner. In a country like India, this is arranged differently. A general practitioner, as they call general practitioners there, often has only a bachelor’s degree in medicine. Then, you are more likely to be referred to secondary care, to the hospital. But you have to explain clearly that it works differently here.”
In addition, the GP finds it important to always be open to the opinions of his patients. “I don’t protect my position tooth and nail. I can explain to my patients how things are arranged here. But if someone comes by with their child once, twice and a third time, I won’t send him away. But I also don’t give him antibiotics if it isn’t necessary. I’m trying to find the golden mean. Those people just want to make sure everything is okay.”
Antibiotics
“It’s nice to see that this approach works. If someone is concerned, I will start the conversation. Then I say, ‘Mr. Kapoor, you have studied highly. I know you also know that it is not good for your child to start a course of antibiotics. I’ll give it to you just in case, but you shouldn’t use it unless it’s absolutely necessary.’ A while later, I receive another visit and hear that the antibiotics are unused in the refrigerator. Then I am proud.”
Austria
Malyar thinks that the healthcare system always takes some ‘getting used’ to for newcomers to a country. “I have also heard a story about a Dutchman who went skiing to Austria and had a minor accident there,” says Malyar. “He was immediately strapped to a stretcher and placed in hospital for observation for two days. He thought that was far too exaggerated. So, you see that everyone is used to something different – it does not mean that one is necessarily better than the other,” says Malyar.
Source: www.studio040.nl
Translated by Yawar Abbas
Incompetency in GP, lack of empathy and misdiagnosis are common in Dutch healthcare. Third world countries fare better and ensure good safety standards.
Such blanket statements are rarely helpful, and insulting to the host country. Respectful comments or suggestions make communication possible; blanket insults prevent it.