An ambulance dispatcher dismissed a distress call from an international student in Groningen, only for an ambulance to be dispatched minutes later after a second call, this time from a local about the same incident, university news site Ukrant reported.
This emerged from a Ukrant report on how multiple international students feel confused and frustrated by the Dutch healthcare system.
One of the students spoken to was Raul Robert Nedelcu who had a frustrating experience with emergency health care. One night, he got a panicked call from a friend: someone they both knew had collapsed close to the Vismarkt after consuming hash and alcohol. “When I got there, he was lying slumped over the table with his eyes closed and one hand twitching,” Nedelcu told UKrant. His friend wasn’t answering any of his questions.
Raul tried to do the right thing and called an ambulance, but the woman on the phone brushed it off and said it was just another student who had too much to drink and smoke and advised him to take him home.
Luckily, a Dutch passerby who happened to be a medical professional spotted them and called the ambulance herself. This time, one was sent immediately. “They asked her to check his temperature and pulse, and actually gave her instructions on what to do,” Nedelcu said. Ten minutes later the ambulance arrived and his friend was seen by paramedics and is doing well now.
Nedelcu said he has now lost trust in the healthcare system. “I don’t feel safe here anymore. If I have an emergency, I don’t think I can call the ambulance”, he said.
Other cases
One of the other cases is Yeva’s, who, despite throwing up for 2 days straight, tried to get help by going to the hospital feeling she needed help urgently. However, the ER at the UMCG couldn’t help her. She said, “I threw up 8 times before a nurse came to me, but she said that I should know that this – the ER – is only for severe injuries.”
After pleading that the vomiting was serious she was admitted and spent lying in a hospital bed with an IV as they did tests. She was diagnosed with a severe form of gastritis. They told her to try paracetamol and cola. “I already tried all those basic things of course. I was there because they didn’t work.” “There was no point in going to the emergency department.”
She still vomits a few times a week now but not as bad as it was before, though she’s obviously still sick. “I don’t think I can get help for this in the Netherlands. I’ll just wait to go back to Georgia.”
GP first
Bas Bens, emergency physician at the UMCG, told UKrant that one of the problems is that international students don’t know exactly how the system works here and go to the hospital directly when they should first be turning to a GP.
He’s seen a rise in internationals coming to ER straight away and besides the growth of internationals, he thinks this is also because of cultural differences. “In many countries, the GP doesn’t act as a ‘gatekeeper’. People are used to going to the hospital for a lot of issues.”
He doesn’t blame them for doing the same here, “It can be difficult for internationals to understand how the Dutch healthcare system works.”
However, he also knows many do kind of understand and only turn to the ER when they’ve already tried looking for a GP. The issue is that many have a waiting list now which creates difficulty in accessing primary care. “If you haven’t solved that as a country, of course, people will just come to the emergency care. They’ve tried everything already and are pretty desperate.”
He explains that when they do arrive at the ER, they can’t let them leave empty-handed, so they always have a chat. They ask if they have a GP if they have issues finding one or getting an appointment and they take it from there. He also feels that for internationals their lack of network of people to help them makes it more difficult. “Many start looking things up on the internet and usually that doesn’t help,” he said.
It can also be difficult for internationals to get their point across to emergency staff. “There always is a language barrier, which means subtle signals will be lost,” he added.
How the system works
Bens says it’s important that students do seek help when needed. He advises them to go to their GP first to obtain a referral to the emergency department if need be unless it’s an acute illness or life-or-death situation. This may help the hospital understand how they can treat you quicker. Bens also recommends registering at a GP as quickly as possible, before one ever has any medical issues.
If you find yourself in a situation where you or someone else is badly injured or extremely ill and in need of immediate care, always call 112.
