General practitioners affiliated with the Stroomz Care organisation will go on holiday this summer. Replacements have not, as of yet, been arranged. It is therefore a question of whether all Eindhoven residents can count on general practitioner care or not.
Intensive Care
Stroomz still has five weeks to make up for the shortage, but have assured that acute care will always continue. According to Huijbers, there are alternatives, because there is also a lot to be found digitally.
“We always refer people to the online helpdesk where they can go with their questions. These are advised for people with limited complaints”. Huijbers emphasised that the shortage is greatest during the summer holidays than during the rest of the year. If not enough applications are received, Stroomz will have to look for another solution.
Cry for help
Stroomz is urgently looking for general practitioners to fill in for employees who are on vacation in the summer. “It is of course a problem every year, but there is also a shortage of GPs in the Netherlands. Offering a higher hourly rate is a remedy, but of course, we do not wish to have to do that,” explained board member Ellen Huijbers.
In total, 100 general practitioners care for more than 200,000 inhabitants. According to Huijbers, a large proportion of GPs are on holiday in mid-July. “It mainly concerns general practitioners with young children. They can only go on holiday during the school holidays. Just like last summer, we are dealing with very tight staffing and we will see if it works and if not, look for another solution.”
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Seetha
