Medical-ethical question
But according to Rutte, without a lockdown we run the risk that 4000 IC beds will be needed at the end of January, while 1350 is actually the maximum achievable. “Of course, if you can scale up indefinitely, there will come a time when you can prevent a lockdown. But then you get the medical-ethical question of whether you want so many people in coma, ventilated with all kinds of tubes in their bodies, for their lives. let’s fight.”
MP Fleur Agema of the PVV believes that the cabinet is doing far too little to increase capacity in healthcare. “This prime minister would rather close society than invest in healthcare,” she said. She claims that the upcoming cabinet will cut billions on healthcare, although according to Rutte it is about slowing down growth in expenditure.
The prime minister referred to the 300 million euros his new cabinet wants to spend on ‘pandemic preparedness’. He wants to use the money to flexibly scale up the care capacity in subsequent waves and pandemics, without this being at the expense of regular care. “But even without us being in a normal situation with empty beds with staff there who have nothing to do.”
Several MPs wanted to know exactly how this works, but Rutte referred to the new ministerial team. “He has to work out the plans.”
Long term vision
The left-wing opposition parties in particular insisted on a long-term vision from the cabinet. “We are at a dead end and can no longer afford to continue in this way,” said Attje Kuiken of the PvdA. “The dot on the horizon is missing,” said Lisa Westerveld of GroenLinks.
According to Rutte, the cabinet is working on a long-term strategy on how we can live with the virus in the future. “We hope to be a long way from that in January.”
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