Prime Minister Mark Rutte occasionally experienced emotional moments on Tuesday during the national reflection day around the corona virus. He told this on Tuesday evening in conversation with NU.nl, after he and Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Health) had spoken in the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch with people who have been affected by the corona virus in several ways.
“Tears sometimes come to my eyes”, said Rutte about the story of Hans Stil from Uden. The 68-year-old from Brabant had to be hospitalized urgently in the spring due to a corona infection.
Stil was given the choice whether or not to be admitted to intensive care (IC), where he would have a 50 percent chance of surviving if he received IC care. In the end he chose to go to the ic, where he had to say goodbye to his wife, children and grandchildren over the phone.
When Stil told about the event, he filled up again. Jerky and with a trembling lower lip, he said that he wanted to talk about it, but that it didn’t work out. “Then I also become emotional,” said Rutte. “I’ve never experienced it like that myself, but those are phone calls, phew.”
Compliments for the ex-corona patient who is walking like a lapwing
Fortunately, it ended well for the Udenaar. After a week in the IC department of the Jeroen Bosch Hospital in Den Bosch and another five days in a normal COVID nursing ward, Stil was allowed to return home. Silent was back to normal after four weeks of rehabilitation.
The prime minister repeatedly complimented the man for walking “like a lapwing” through the Brabanthallen again. “While you also see all those stories of people who did not survive or who are still busy with rehabilitation for a while.”
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Prime Minister Rutte arrives at the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch to hold conversations with people affected by the corona virus or the corona crisis. (Photo: ANP)
‘How hard can it be?’
The story of Stil is, according to the Prime Minister, the crux of why the corona measures were introduced. “We must avoid those moments (IC recordings and forced farewell to family, ed.).”
“You have to remember two things: keep a distance of 1.5 meters and wash your hands. How difficult can it be?” Said Rutte. “And because we don’t do that enough, you now see the figures rising again and we have to take extra measures. Or we won’t see them working until early next week.”
“But what you are already seeing is that the first knee operations are being postponed and soon also the cancer and heart operations. You cannot do that endlessly,” the prime minister expressed his concerns. “If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for the nurse who is still tired from the previous wave or else for the neighbor who fears her cancer surgery will be delayed.”
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