Both outgoing minister Hugo de Jonge and Ernst Kuipers of the National Coordination Center for Patient Distribution said it yesterday: from code black is provisional. no talk yet. De Jonge even said that we are still “very far away” from the moment when the sick must be refused entry to hospitals because they are full. last night in news hour Bianca Buurman, president of the association for nurses and carers (V&VN), had a more worrying message.
According to her, we will have to deal with a ‘code black situation’ within two to three weeks, unless the number of infections decreases. “The pressure will increase enormously. It is now almost impossible to admit patients, place them and provide all the care.” She emphasized that this is not just about the occupation in the intensive care units. There is still room, she acknowledged, to add the warning that “a huge influx of patients” is expected.
According to her, a capacity of 1150 IC beds is feasible, and even 1350 would be possible for a short period of time. But it stands or falls with the availability of healthcare workers, she says. “While there is now increasing absenteeism due to illness.”
Buurman argues for extra measures to turn the tide and calls on the Dutch to adhere to the existing rules, but doubts whether it will have enough effect. “There is a reality within healthcare and outside healthcare and they do not rhyme with each other. We are taxed within healthcare, but there is little support in society for measures. And regardless of whether those measures have an effect, the coming In two to three weeks, we will still have a lot of care coming at us. It will be very, very, very exciting whether we can handle that.”
–
